I Am a Slave - Interquel Trilogy, Vol 3
by SapphireAlena
Summary: Rey in the hands of Unkar Plutt calls out in the Force for her mommy. Anakin hears his granddaughter's call and becomes her protector and trainer in all that he knows. [HIATUS: I will be changing the ending at some point. I will not align with TLJ, though.]
1. Chapter 1--Hiding from the Bad Man

**_DISCLAIMER_**

I do not own Lucasfilm Ltd., LucasArts, Walt Disney Co., or Wookieepedia, nor anyone else who may hold copyright on these characters and information. This is simply my creative work building on the work of others whom I respect. Any intellectual information that has not been created from scratch by me is the property of appropriate copyright holders.

My apologies to my fellow grammarians. I know the difference between nominative and accusative cases, but these space travellers do not. Let's not even talk about indirect reference.

* * *

 ** _PROLOGUE_**

I was a slave . . . without hope . . . without a memory of who I really am . . . all I knew was that one day my family would come back for me.

* * *

 ** _CHAPTER ONE_**

The slave girl huddled in a corner of the thick-walled dwelling of Unkar Plutt on Jakku. She was hiding in a pantry, behind a sack of tubers . . . hiding from the bad man. Not Unkar Plutt. He was bad enough, but the new man—the one Grekka called a pirate—he was truly bad. Rey whimpered silently as blood streamed down her back where the bad man had struck her with his belt when she would not go to him. When he chased her, she kicked him hard between his legs and bit his hand when he grabbed her. She had run as quickly as possible to the safety of the cellar while Grekka intercepted the bad man. Rey had no idea what Grekka had done, but the bad man had stopped chasing her. But Unkar Plutt was not done with her, and she knew punishment was lurking around the corner once he found her.

Rey huddled in the corner, not daring to make a sound, but hurting so much inside. She cried deep down inside, using all the energy she could find, "Help me, Mommy! Come back! Please don't leave me here! I'll be a good girl! I'll eat whatever you give me. Come back, Mommy!" But, no matter how many times she had cried that over the last six months, her mommy never came. Rey was beginning to forget what her mommy looked like, and that scared her even more. She feared that if she ever really forgot what her mommy looked like, her mommy would never return. So she forced herself to focus on her memories, remembering the shape of her face, her big brown eyes, her long chestnut hair braided intricately, her beautiful smile, her tender love for her little girl. Rey could almost feel her mommy holding onto her.

And then Rey felt it. Something was stirring in the dark pantry. The energy around her flowed and surged around it. And then she saw it: a blue glow, brightly lighting the pantry. Rey huddled back further into the corner, trying to hide, but the light kept coming. "Stay back! I'm not going with you!" warned Rey. "I'll bite you again!"

A soft baritone voice emanated from the light, "I won't hurt you, Child."

As the figure approached Rey, she could make out the shape of a human man—not the one who had hurt her. A blue energy surrounded him, causing the brightness. The man was tall, very tall, with light brown, curly hair, piercing blue eyes, and a dimple on his strong chin.

"Who are you?" asked Rey, warily.

"You can call me 'Ani,'" spoke the figure. "May I sit down?"

Rey nodded "yes." Ani hunched down next to her.

"Why are you here?" inquired Rey.

"You called me here," answered Ani. "I heard you call for help through the Force."

"The Force?" asked Rey. Something sounded familiar about that, something her mommy had taught her.

"Yes," answered Ani. "The energy field that surrounds us and penetrates us."

"Like the blue around you?"

"Yes, I am part of the Force," explained Ani. "When you called, I could not help but answer. But, who are you?"

"I am a slave," replied Rey as she had been instructed. According to Unkar Plutt, slaves never were to give their names. Normally, she was just called "girl."

"I was a slave, too," spoke Ani, "but I still had a name. Don't you have a name?"

"Yes, but I'm not allowed to speak it," spoke Rey.

"I won't tell anyone," answered Ani with a wink.

The girl whispered, "Rey."

"Rey," spoke Ani with a smile. "Such a pretty name, for such a pretty girl. You must be very strong to have survived this long, Rey."

"I'm scared, Ani," whispered Rey.

"I was, too, Rey," spoke Ani. "But you're going to make it."

Rey reached out to grab him, but her hand passed right through him. "Are you a hologram?"

"No," replied Ani.

"Why can't I feel you then?"

"I'm a ghost, Rey, but a very real ghost," explained Ani. Rey's fear was palpable even to Ani. "Don't be afraid. I'm here to protect you."

"If I can't touch you, how can you protect me?" asked Rey.

Ani moved his hand, and some of the crates in the pantry moved into a position to surround Rey. "Would you like to learn this, too?"

"Yes, but . . ."

"But what?"

"I really want a hug, Ani," spoke Rey, "I want my mommy to hug me and tell me everything's going to be all right, Ani."

"I'm not your mommy, and I can't touch you, but can you pretend?"

"Pretend what?"

"That I can touch you?" asked Ani.

"I can try."

"Do or do not. There is no try, Rey," corrected Ani.

"I will."

"Then climb in my lap, and I'll hold you. And you can pretend I'm your mommy, or your granddad, if you prefer," suggested Ani. Rey scooted over on the bare floor, and she could have sworn she felt two strong arms wrap around her, the blue glow lighting her up as well.


	2. Chapter 2--Force Barriers

**_CHAPTER TWO_**

Rey wore her favorite outfit, a crocheted dress of off-white with cap sleeves and a boat neck which reached below her knees. Her beautiful mother sat not too far away on a blanket in the meadow with the waterfall behind her. But Rey was too busy to sit—she had to chase those yellow-bellied Heliconians and try to steal kisses from them when she caught them.

Her mother called, though. "Rey, time to eat. Come now."

Rey turned from her pursuit, her stomach growling. She ran back to her mother and fell into her arms, giggling. "Mommy! I love you!"

Leia held her little girl tightly and kissed her on the forehead. "I love you, too, my darling Re—"

* * *

Rey awoke suddenly, the cold, hard slab of the cellar floor immediately bringing her back to reality—a horrible reality where mommy was not here. Rey moved into a seated position, wincing as her back hurt her. She remembered the beating she had received the night before. She remembered the bad man. She remembered Unkar Plutt. And she cried.

Unkar Plutt's voice echoed throughout the complex, "I've found the brat! She's down here!"

Rey could hear the bloated blobfish making his way through the extensive cellar. Rey hid behind the sack of tubers again, grateful for the crates that—that Ani had moved to shield her last night. Ani. Ani was real! He was not just a dream!

Rey counted the footsteps—Unkar Plutt was easy to identify, heavy and webbed as they were. Another set was light—probably Grekka. There were also two others—possibly Unkar's guards. She gave out an involuntary whimper as the footsteps approached, trying to push herself into the brick wall, hurting her back even more. The scabs broke open, seeping blood into her rough, sleeveless dress. She bit her tongue to hold in her scream as tears ran down her face.

Unkar Plutt reached her hideaway first, grabbing the crates of portions and flinging them to the side. One crate burst open, spilling the portion packets all over the cellar floor. "There you are, you little brat!" He grabbed her by the arm and yanked her up, almost dislocating Rey's shoulder in the process.

Rey screamed in pain.

Unkar hit her across the face. Blood streamed from her nose as he said, "That's for disgracing me in front of my guest last night! You will learn to obey, girl!"

Rey cried out, "Ani! Ani!"

Unkar took the whip from his belt and raised it to strike her again, but his hand froze in mid air. Ani appeared behind the Blobfish, one arm held out toward the Blobfish, paralyzing his limbs. His blue aura lit up the cellar brightly.

"Ani!" Rey cried in relief when she saw her friend. "Where have you been?"

"Taking care of your bad man, Rey. He won't hurt anyone anymore," remarked Ani solemnly. He moved his arm again, and the whip split down the middle and flew to opposite sides of the cellar. "That won't be necessary," Ani announced.

Plutt was surprised when the whip went flying, as were the men with him and Grekka. When the whip flew away, Plutt regained use of his arms, and grabbed Rey by the front of her dress. "What did you do, you little demon?"

"Nothing," answered Rey, scared. "It was Ani here."

"Where? There's no one else here," spoke Plutt, annoyed, shaking Rey.

"Ani, why can't they see you?" asked Rey.

"Only special people can see me, Rey, and you're the only one Jakku with the ability," soothed Ani. "Tell him to put you down."

"He says to put me down," relayed Rey, hesitantly.

"Oh, he does, does he? I don't take orders from imaginary friends," said Unkar. Yet, against his will, Unkar's arm lowered Rey to the ground and released her as his hand felt like it had been crushed.

"Run, Rey, run!" yelled Ani.

Rey dodged around Unkar and ran behind him, but his two thugs caught her in their arms. Ani threw a shipping crate at the two, knocking them down. "Don't touch me!" yelled Rey.

"Look, girl, you are my property, which I paid for with hard earned druggats! You will do as I tell you," ordered Unkar.

"Just don't touch me! I'll clean whatever you want, but don't touch me!" yelled Rey.

Unkar moved to grab her again, but was stopped. Ani had stepped between him and Rey and was blocking him with the Force, both arms stretched out making a Force barrier. After a few tries to get around the barrier, Unkar agreed, "Fine. Grekka, she's yours. Keep her out of my sight. And this is where she stays from now on. And clean up those portion packets, slave!"

As Ani lowered the Force barrier, Rey moved behind her friend. Unkar and his thugs cautiously left the haunted cellar, watching Rey warily. Grekka shouted at her, "When you've finished cleaning up that mess, come upstairs to the kitchen."

When they had left, Ani squatted to her level and spoke, "Rey, you were so very brave. I'm so proud of you."

"Ani, where were you? I was afraid again," whimpered Rey.

"Shhh, no crying now," consoled Ani. "Don't worry. I was still here. Just upstairs taking care of the bad man."

Suddenly Unkar Plutt's yelling could be heard through the cellar entrance. "A guest, strangled in my house! My name is ruined!"

"I think Unkar has found my handiwork," mentioned Ani. "The bad man will never hurt anyone again, Rey."

"What did you do, Ani?"

"Never you mind. I did what needed to be done." Ani held his arms out to her for a hug. "Come here. I figured something else out as well."

Rey moved into his arms. As he wrapped them around her, she did not have to make believe this time. She could feel the pressure. Rey tried to kiss him on the cheek, but her head went through his.

"It's not really me, Rey. It's a Force barrier. But it's close enough, hunh?" Ani held his granddaughter, smoothing her hair and looking around for something to dress the wounds on her back. Rey reminded Ani so much of his Padmé, so much of what he wished he had with Leia. She was descended from royalty, and the passion of Ani's senators ran true in this little one. This was the slave that would end slavery once and for all. That was her destiny—the destiny Ani had failed to complete!


	3. Chapter 3--You're Not Ready Yet

**CHAPTER THREE**

As the evening desert winds kicked up and the sun lowered, the temperature dropped down to a mere thirty degrees. On other planets, it would still be considered hot, but on Jakku it was almost chilly. Inside the low rectangular dwelling of the Crolute gangster Unkar Plutt, a variety of pirates lounged on cushions around a low table in the main hall. A slight human female slave cranked an overhead fan, circulating the warm air in the room. Unkar's hearty laugh was interrupted by a Weequay carrying in Rey through the front arch of beads. Rey kicked and screamed, yelling, "Put me down! Don't touch me!"

The Weequay covered her mouth with his hand and announced, "Look who I found trying to run a—ouch!"

Rey had bitten him on the fingers, drawing blood. She struggled out of his grasp, dropping to the floor and drawing her stolen kitchen knife out of her dress folds, waving it in the air at the Weequay. The Weequay stepped back, moving out of her range. One of the guests, Tasu Leach, reached for Rey, who quickly avoided his grasp.

Unkar yelled, "Don't touch her! Whatever you do, don't touch her!" Unkar looked around the room, looking for signs of the ghost which had disturbed his home these last four weeks.

Rey thrust out again with her knife, but her arm froze in midair. She yelled as her arm refused to answer her directions. Her feet would not move either. Then Ani appeared in front her, blue aura glowing brightly. He moved his arm and used the Force to grab the knife from her and throw it to the ground.

Rey yelled, "Hey, that was mine! Ani! Why did you do that?!"

Ani shushed her, "Quiet! You're in enough trouble already!" Rey glared at him.

Unkar looked at her, realizing his worst nightmare was here again. "Grekka! Grekka!" Unkar growled.

The middle-aged woman who was in charge of the kitchen appeared through a curtain of beads, wiping her hands on her dark skirts. "Yes, Great Unkar!" she greeted, groveling in front of him.

"Rise! Take the brat and lock her in the cellar! Quickly! _He's_ here!" ordered Unkar with a motion to the ceiling.

Grekka stood up quickly and grabbed the girl, dragging her into the kitchen, looking around her nervously for any sign of the ghost. "Get into the cellar. Don't come out until I get you tomorrow!" ordered Grekka. "Naughty girl."

Rey obeyed but cheekily asked, "How can I get out when you lock me in there, Grekka?"

"I don't know how, but I know you have. Please, for the sake of all the slaves, stay in there!" begged Grekka. Over the last month, unable to touch Rey, Unkar took out his anger on the rest of the household slaves. Now, they all hated Rey.

* * *

As soon as the cellar trap door was shut and a board slid through the handles, Ani appeared again, lighting up the dark cellar with his blue aura. Rey stormed off behind him, ignoring him. Then she turned and asked, "Why did you stop me?"

"I had to, Rey. You wouldn't have survived more than a few days on your own," explained Ani, sitting down on the stone floor and beckoning her into his arms. Rey climbed into his lap, her legs touching the floor, but her back able to rest against Ani's chest. "You're not ready yet; but I promise, I will help you escape when you are."

"Really?"

"Umm-hmm. But I want you to promise that you won't try to escape again until you're ready," requested Ani.

Rey looked at him, trying to make this hard decision. They glared at each other, but eventually she gave in, "I promise."

"And no more knives. I don't want you killing people, Rey," spoke Ani.

"You killed the bad man," retorted Rey.

"That was to protect you," answered Ani.

"So would—"

"No, Rey!" commanded Ani. "Don't start down that path. It will consume you."

"But I hate him! I hate him! I hate him!" yelled Rey.

"He's not worth your hate, Rey. Let it go," cautioned Ani. "Please."

Rey did not answer. Ani stared at her some more before accepting that silence would be the best answer he would receive from her.

"In order to leave this place, you need to learn a lot of things. Do you know how to read yet?" asked Ani.

"No. Mommy was teaching me my letters, but we hadn't gotten too far yet," informed Rey. She adjusted her legs and kicked some gravel that had come loose out of the rough mortar.

"Pick up that rock and show me what you remember. Scratch the tile wall here with it," instructed Ani.

Rey pursed her lips and squinted her eyes, trying to remember the letters. It was over seventh months now, and she had forgotten many of them. She started by drawing this first letter, a mirror image letter. The top half had a straight vertical line, a straight horizontal line, and a diagonal line that pointed up and to the right. The bottom part of the letter was the mirror image about half a centimeter below the top half. Rey announced, "Aurek." Next she drew an open hexagon with a horizontal dash in the middle, "Besh." The next one was easy, three vertical lines, with middle one super small, "Cresh." The one that looked like a feather was "Dorn."

And then came the one that was in her name. That one was hard. Two lines that met at a point at the bottom at opposite angles joined to a vertical line on the right, "Esk."

Ani complimented, "Very good, Rey. Do you remember any more?"

"No. The next one was hard to draw," spoke Rey.

"Well, I'm going to put the image in your head, then I want you to try it. The next one is called Forn. You draw it with an up-and-down line here on the left, a sideways line on the bottom, another up-and-down line in the middle—taller than the first—and then the swoopy line on top," explained Ani as he implanted an image in her head.

Rey grabbed the stone again with her left hand and started. "Up-and-down line, sideways line, up-and-down line again." She stared at the figure. "How do I do that swoopy thing?" Ani put the image in her head again. Rey drew it crookedly, but it was there.

"Good, Rey. Now I want you to do it ten more times before I teach you the next one," indicated Ani.

"How much is ten?" asked Rey.

"You don't know how to count?" asked Ani.

Rey shook her head "no."

"How old are you, Rey?" asked Ani.

"I was five last birthing day," spoke Rey holding up her hand with her fingers and thumb spread widely.

"When was that?"

"I don't know. Mommy knows," spoke Rey.

"You draw, and I'll count," urged Ani. "One."


	4. Chapter 4--Hide-and-Seek

**CHAPTER FOUR**

Tonight was another night of being locked in her special place—the cellar. Rey was sure that Unkar thought the cellar was a punishment for her, or at least a prison to keep her out of the way; but for Rey the cellar was her special place with Ani.

As Rey climbed down the ladder through the trap door, she took in a deep breath of the cool cellar air. She shut the doors above her, standing on the ladder, taking a few moments for her eyes to adjust to the darkness. Once adjusted, she carefully moved down the rungs. She then realized that the crates had been moved from where they were this morning.

"Ani?" Rey called out. "Ani! Where are you?"

Ani spoke in her head, "Find me."

"It's so dark down here. I can't see your light," spoke Rey. "Stop hiding, Ani."

"Rey, your eyes can deceive you. Don't trust them," remarked Ani. "Use the Force, like I showed you."

Rey took a deep breath and focused as Ani had been teaching her these last few months. It was never easy for her doing it this way, but she was learning how to use the Force to avoid Unkar. Time to find Ani.

As Rey hurried around the dark cellar, she stubbed her toe on a crate she did not see. "Oww!"

"Use the Force, Rey. Feel the crates around you, and avoid them," instructed Ani.

Rey growled at him but pushed on through the dark chamber. After stumbling a few times on the uneven stones of the floor, Rey quickly ran around a stone support pillar and pushed a shipping crate out of the way to reveal Ani. He had covered the area he was hiding in from head-to-toe so that his blue aura would not give away his location. She grabbed him, or at least his Force barrier that he kept around his arms while she was with him. "Gotcha!" she cried.

Ani knelt down and tickled her. Rey ran away, squealing and laughing until Ani caught her and tickled her some more. "Stop! I give up!" yelled Rey between giggles.

Ani sat up and asked her, "What do you want to learn tonight?"

"Not more lessons," moaned Rey.

"Yes, more lessons, young lady," replied Ani with a wink. "But this time a little different. Do you see all those crates?"

"Yes. Why did you move them everywhere?" asked Rey.

"You'll see. I'm going to give you a ten second headstart. Go hide, and don't let me catch you!"

Rey ran off, looking for a good hiding place. "No cheating, Ani!" she warned.

"I won't," promised Ani. "This time."

It took Ani a few minutes, but he finally found Rey behind some crates near the ladder to the trap door. As he reached to grab her, Rey ran out of his grasp and started climbing up a stack of crates a meter away. Rey jumped to another stack of crates, holding on tightly as they tumbled to the ground. She rolled in a tight somersault and ran toward the other end of the cellar where the ceiling was higher and the walls were rough stone.

Rey looked behind her, watching Ani close the distance. Then she looked up. There were no crates at this end of the room. Ani was closing in on her, backing her into a corner! She grabbed at the rough stone wall and found her tiny fingers could grab it.

She turned around and started up the wall, looking for notches in the wall until she could reach the wooden slats above that served as extra storage. Just as Ani was about to grab her, she made it to the saftey of the rafters. "Safe!" she yelled.

Ani beamed in pride at his granddaughter. "That was good! That was really good! Way to think outside of your problems to the solution, you little monkey! Come on down, now, or do I have to come get you?"

"Come get me!" squealed Rey.

Ani appeared automatically next to her in the rafters. Rey balanced herself on two slats spread apart a few inches. "What is this place, Rey?"

"I don't know. Just lots of cool stuff," she said, lifting a long pole a bit longer than her height. She held it in the middle, tilting it awkwardly toward him. "Fight with me, Ani! Fight with me!"

"Not up here, young one. Come on, let's go down," urged Ani. "You can bring your staff with you."

After Rey dropped her staff to the cellar floor, she looked down at the distance. "Ani, I don't know how to get down."

"Same way you got up. Use the wall," encourage Ani.

Rey gingerly crawled to the end of the rafters, but she could not find a way to grasp the wall from this angle. "I can't, Ani."

Ani smiled, "Hold on. I'll bring you down." Ani held out his hand and slowly levitated her to the floor.

"That was fun, Ani! Do it again!" begged Rey.

"No," replied Ani, not wanting to make the Force a toy.

"Please!" asked Rey, giving him the most adorable imploring look she could create.

Ani opened his mouth to say "no" again, but then gave in. "All right! Just this once." He raised his hand a lifted her up to the ceiling and then brought her quickly down again.

"Faster, Ani! Faster!" Rey giggled.

Ani smiled at her, taking joy from her giggles, lifting her up and down in the open space, until she became nauseated. "Maybe it's time to stop, Rey."

"Yeah, that was fun! But I'm a little dizzy now," admitted Rey.

As Ani lowered her to the cellar floor, he held out his hand and levitated a piece of charcoal that Rey had purloined from the kitchen fires a few weeks before. "More lessons?" whined Rey.

"Yes, more lessons," insisted Ani. He wrote out a few words on the stones and had Rey read them back to him.

"Bantha, Wampa, Hutt, Wook-Wook-eye," started Rey.

"Wook-eeee," corrected Ani.

"Wookiee, Twi'lek, Ray, Naboo, droid," she continued.

"Which one is your name?" asked Ani.

"My name's not there," stated Rey.

"Yes, it is! See this one? Resh, Aurek, Yirt. Ray," showed Ani.

"No, my name is Resh, Esk, Yirt! That's what mommy says," denied Rey.

Ani rubbed the Aurek out of the stone and inserted an Esk. "That better?"

"Yes, Resh, Esk, Yirt! Rey!"

"Now, I'm going to set you some problems. When you finish them, I'm going to teach you something new," promised Ani. He wrote out twenty simple addition problems and then gave Rey the charcoal.

Rey quickly filled in random numbers as Ani watched. She proudly proclaimed, "Done!"

Ani grimaced at her when he looked at her work. He waved his hand and the charcoal bits disappeared from her answers. "This time work the problems out and give me the correct answers."

"But you already know the correct answers. Why do I have to tell you?" asked Rey.

"Just do it," sighed Ani, shaking his head.

When Rey had completed all of the problems correctly, Ani smiled at her. "Good job!"

"Mommy will be proud when she sees what I can do, right, Ani?"

"Right, honey," answered Ani with a grim face.

"Why hasn't my mommy come back yet, Ani?"

"She can't, sweetie," answered Ani.

"I was a bad girl, Ani. I wouldn't eat that icky soup. But I promise I'll be good. Can you tell her that, Ani?"

"Sweetie, why you're here has nothing to do with that. Your mommy can't come back. She doesn't know where you are, or she would be here right now for you," explained Ani.

"But you know where I am. Go tell my mommy where I am, Ani," spoke Rey.

"I can't, Rey."

"Why not?" asked Rey with tears in her eyes.

Ani took a deep breath while thinking of an answer Rey would understand. "Do you remember why I first came to you, Rey?"

"I called for help. I called for my mommy," answered Rey.

"Yes, but she can't come. So I did," spoke Ani. "Your mommy hasn't called for me, so I can't go to her. She doesn't want me there."

"She doesn't know you, Ani. I'm sure if she knew you, she would call you!" pleaded Rey. "She would love you like I do."

A tear escaped Ani's eye as he spoke, "Rey, I wasn't always Ani. Your mommy knows me . . . the way I used to be."

"Who were you, Ani?" asked Rey.

"Who I was does not matter anymore. Who I am now . . . well, that's all that matters, right?"

"You're just a ghost, right?"

"No, I am your grandfather," admitted Ani, holding his arms out to Rey. He was the one who needed a hug this time.


	5. Chapter 5--Sandstorm

**CHAPTER FIVE**

It had been over a standard year since Ani had first appeared to Rey, at least according to the marks she had made on the tile wall as he had instructed her. As for the time before that, the best she could figure was that there had been eight moon cycles, which could have been anywhere from five to seven months, depending on which moon of Jakku's was waxing when she had arrived. In the last year-and-a-half, Rey had grown out of her dress she had arrived in and now wore a pair of unbleached leggings that reached down to her ankles, brown leather sandals whose lacings kept breaking, and a V-neck tunic that was slightly too large for her with long, wide sleeves.

During the last few months, Rey's responsibilities had also changed from household slave to salvage cleaner behind Unkar's merchant booth. Each day she followed Unkar Plutt to his booth, her little legs having to run to keep up with his gigantic strides. Once there, he would attach a leg binder, chaining her to a table under a makeshift awning behind his booth. Her job was to clean each part brought to Unkar. Some parts came in mostly clean, but many were encrusted with sand, grease, and grime. Unkar wanted them to look like new so he would get a higher price when he sold to his pirate dealers.

Each day it was the same. Scrub, scrub, scrub. Polish, polish, polish. Broil, broil, broil. One break a day for her midday meal and refresher usage. Then back again until the sun set.

Today, the weather seemed strange. There was electricity in the air—it set her teeth on edge as she scrubbed away at a piece of solar panel. She grabbed her smaller brush and worked the fine sand crystals out of the grooves. Then the wind kicked up, sending sand grains onto the panel, making a fine mud as they stuck to the water she had just used to rinse it. Rey sighed. She would have to do it all over again, and this time it would be harder. Unkar would be mad if she did not finish all the pieces today—and she had learned that every time she failed at his expectations, he would take it out on the other slaves. She worked harder, moving her hand fast, blowing on the dry sand, hoping to finish quickly.

The wind continued blowing, freeing strands of Rey's hair from her three pony tails, getting in her eyes along with the sand. She closed her eyes, trying to blink away the sand and pull her hair back again. Then she heard screams from behind her. She opened her eyes to see all of the people from the Niima Outpost bazaar fleeing past her. She stood up, dragging her table with her by her leg chain to peer around Unkar's booth. A 500-meter wall of sand approached!

Rey screamed, but no one would stop to help her. She tried to run, dragging her table with her, her binder cutting into her flesh. The nearest shelter from a sandstorm was 1000 meters away. No one stopped—not Unkar, not his guards, no one. As the sandstorm approached, Rey sat down on the hot sand and cried, "Granddad! Granddad!"

Ani appeared, but it was so hard to see him in the bright light of the Jakku sun. "Rey, get up."

"I can't. This stupid table!"

Ani looked at her chain and shackle, moving his hand, unlocking the binder. "Come on, run now!"

Rey took a few steps and then fell as the large cloud hit the bazaar. It was now only a few meters away.

"Get up! You have to run for it, Rey!"

"I can't! My leg!" said Rey with tears.

Ani noticed the blood running down and the damage the binder had done to her leg. "Animals!" he growled. He scooped her up in his arms and ran toward Unkar Plutt's dwelling.

When they arrived the seldom-closed blastdoors were sealed shut. The sandstorm enveloped them. Rey pounded on the door, screaming, "Let me in! Let me in!" Sand got everywhere!

Ani knew that they could not hear her over the roar of the wind, so he opened the doors with the Force and barged right in, carrying the little girl. The guards at the door took a step back as they saw Rey floating into the foyer. Ani quickly closed the blastdoors as sand piled up rapidly in the foyer.

One of the guards yelled, "That ghost is here!"

Ani carried Rey down into the cellar and set her on the little bed she had made out of a large shipping crate and some clothing she had found in one of the other crates. "Stay here. I'll be back," he instructed.

Rey obeyed, crying in pain. The sand was everywhere, now, even coming down to the cellar. It was seeping through the vents on the roof of the house and making its way in. The wind whipped at the house so much, that even the foundations down here shook. Rey was petrified.

Ani returned a few minutes later through the cellar door. He closed it first before carrying over some items to Rey. The sand was swirling everywhere now, even in the cellar. Ani took the straining cloth he had used to carry the supplies in and tied it around Rey's face, covering her eyes, nose, mouth, and ears. Her ponytails at the back provided tension knobs for the knots. "That's to keep the sand out," spoke Ani.

"I can't see, Granddad," mentioned Rey.

"You don't need to. Close your eyes. Keep that sand out," instructed Ani. "Now, I'm going to bandage your leg. I'm going to clean it first, and it's going to sting. Can you be a big girl and not scream when it does?"

"I don't know, Granddad," admitted Rey with a whimper.

"I want you to empty yourself of all of your feelings right now, Rey—the fear, the pain, everything. Now, do you see the Force?"

"Yes, it's so powerful now," spoke Rey.

"Focus on that and that alone right now," instructed Ani. "Block out everything else."

Rey did as he instructed as he started to clean the wound. She whimpered a little as he wiped some of the sand out with some gauze.

"Focus on the Force, Rey," admonished Ani.

Rey took a deep breath and started again. After Ani had bandaged her leg, he announced, "All done."

Rey changed her focus from the Force, and then cried, "It hurts."

"It's going to. There are no pain meds in this medkit, Rey, so you're just going to have to use the Force if it hurts too much," spoke Ani. "But pain is part of life, Rey. If you can, I want you to try to deal with it on your own. Can't avoid pain in this life."

"It hurts so much, it feels like it's burning. Did you ever hurt like this, Granddad?" asked Rey.

"Yes, my darling, I did," spoke Ani, remembering the constant pain his ill-fitted prostethics and burns had caused him for half of his life.

"Tell me, what happened?"

"You don't want to know, my dear," denied Ani.

"Please, please tell me," begged Rey.

"No. I don't want to give you nightmares, sweetheart," answered Ani. "I brought you some food and some water. Drink up and eat something. This storm looks like it's going to last for days."

Rey undid the bottom knot on her mask before taking the bottle of water and the wrapped food. "Tell me a story, Granddad. Tell me about when you were a little boy."


	6. Chapter 6--Vader

**_CHAPTER SIX_**

The next day, the sandstorm was still howling–it was the sandstorm of the millennium. Usually these sandwalls only lasted a few minutes—not hours, and definitely not days. The sand was piling up inside Plutt's dwelling, dust permeating every part of the residence.

Rey's leg wound hurt more, but she tried to brave her way through it, using the Force to manage the pain. When Ani showed up the next morning, her bandage was soaked through with blood and pus, and the wound was hot to the touch.

Ani gasped and sighed when he checked it. "Rey, this is bad. It's infected," he said.

"What does '-fected' mean?" asked Rey.

"Some dirt got in. It's not good," announced Ani. He stood up and yelled, "When I get my hands on that Blobfish . . ." and then he threw a shipping crate across the room, splitting it in multiple pieces as it hit the wall.

"Granddad! Please! Stop!" begged Rey. "I'm sorry. Don't be mad! Do whatever you have to do. I won't cry! I promise! Even if you have to cut it off."

Ani stopped, stung by her words. _How could I have lost my temper? I am part of the light now, right?_

As Ani battled through his own personal conflict, Rey continued, "I promise, Granddad. I'll be a good girl."

Ani knelt down to her level. "I'm not mad at you, darling. I'm angry at the Blobfish and the Rodian who brought you here! I'm angry at everything I cannot change! You don't deserve this, Rey! This was supposed to be my punishment, not yours!"

"Granddad, don't be angry about what you can't change; just change what you can," calmed Rey.

Ani gasped and then smiled, "Now you sound like my Padmé, young one."

"Padmé?"

"My wife—the most amazing woman who ever lived. You remind me of her in so many little ways, and sometimes the things you say sound just like her," answered Ani. "So, things I can change, hunh? Let's focus on that, and if the Blobfish gets in the way . . ."

* * *

Ani disappeared and moved to the upper floors of the dwelling. He ransacked every cabinet, every drawer, every space that might hold antibiotics or bacta gel. The residents were in the main hall eating their evening meal as Ani's search progressed. They heard the racket and wisely stayed together in a group—mistakingly thinking there was more strength in numbers.

When Ani could not find what he needed, he decided it was time to reveal himself to the household. He apparated in the main hall, and floating above Unkar's seat he wrote in the plaster wall, excizing plaster with the Force. "Bacta?"

One of the Weequay who was facing Unkar pointed, backing up in fear as the letters appeared on the wall. "Master!"

"What?" asked Unkar as he ate another bite off a luggabeast haunch.

"Look!"

Unkar jumped back as he saw the unseen hand write, "Antibiotics? Pain meds?"

"Who are you?" asked Unkar. "I refuse to keep up this charade. I demand to know who you are!"

"Answer me first," wrote Ani.

"We have none. Jakku has no medical facilities," answered Unkar. "Now, who are you?"

Ani wrote in very large letters, "Vader."

Unkar jumped. He knew that name; he knew what Vader was capable of. "Why are you here?"

"The girl! How dare you?!" Ani angrily wrote in the wall, plaster chips flying across the room.

Unkar visibly paled as he started to asphyxiate. "Please, Lord Vader, plea—"

Ani released his grip, and Unkar gasped and coughed. Then he wrote quickly in smaller letters, "No chains! Don't harm her! Understood?"

Unkar nodded, unable to speak. Ani disappeared from the room.

* * *

Ani traveled out to the graveyard of ships. The medkit he had used on Rey the day before was Imperial issue, which meant it probably came from the graveyard. The sandstorm was moving lots of the sand around. Ships that had been covered for more than a decade were now peeking out of the sand dunes.

Ani chose the Super Star Destroyer _Ravager_ as his first target. He appeared on what remained of the bridge. A snub fighter had crashed through the view ports. Instruments were charred, but the decks seemed to be in order. Skeletons were everywhere, and some bodies had not yet decomposed, even though the battle had taken place over fifteen years ago. To him, though, it was like he had stepped back in time and was aboard his flagship, the _Executor_. He was home.

He apparated down to the medbay. Two medical droids were there, frozen in place, trying to help their long-dead patients. The sand had frozen their joints and gears. Ani halfway considered bringing one with him, but then he realized neither would be able to function without the medbay equipment.

He moved quickly to the cabinets, opening their doors with the Force. He grabbed the largest medkit and started dumping as many supplies as he could find. The antibiotics were all past date, as were the pain meds, so he left them. However, he did find not only tubes of bacta gel, but also the bacta solution base for a true bacta bath. There was no expiration date on these, so he grabbed them, shoving them into the medkit.

* * *

Unlike his trip to the graveyard, Ani had to actually levitate himself back to Unkar's place, many kilometers away as he could not apparate with the medkit in his hand. When he reached Unkar's place, he discovered that the sand had piled half-way up the doorway.

He banged loudly on the door with the Force as the sand continued to blow thickly around the residence. Ani heard the gears grinding as the blastdoors slowly opened. Ani shoved the medkit in and apparated the rest of himself through. He moved quickly and opened up the cellar door, before the guards realized they could close the front door again.

* * *

Ani jumped down the hole and moved to Rey, who was feverish and sleeping fitfully.

Ani woke her up. "Rey, I'm back. Wake up, sweetie."

"Granddad."

"Shhh. Don't call me that anymore, at least not where anyone else can hear you," Ani instructed. Now that Unkar Plutt knew he was Vader, there was no telling what he would do if he found out Rey was Vader's granddaughter. "Just call me Ani."

"Why?"

"There is no why. Just do it," announced Ani as he prepped the bacta solution in the crate he had broken apart earlier. When it was ready, he instructed, "Put your foot in here. Cover your wound. It may sting a bit."

Rey trustingly put in her leg. She bit her tongue when the initial shock of the bacta hit her wound. Then it stopped hurting and almost felt pleasing, like a million fingers were massaging her leg and foot.

"Like that, hunh?" asked Ani with a smile, remembering what bacta treatment felt like when he was a Jedi, before the life-support suit.

"Yeah," agreed Rey with a smile back and a giggle. "Unkar's going to be mad when he finds out you stole it."

"I didn't take it from him," assured Ani.

"Where did you get it? From a trader?"

"No. From the graveyard," spoke Ani. "Now, you just keep your leg in that, and it will be as good as new in a week! I wish I could have found enough for an entire bacta bath, but this will have to do." Ani moved his position behind Rey, allowing her to rest against his chest in a seated position.

And if those upstairs could hear the Force, they would have sworn someone was singing a lullaby to the girl.


	7. Chapter 7--Raid

**CHAPTER SEVEN**

Over the next year, Unkar's crews excavated the Super Star Destroyer _Ravager_ , which had been half-way revealed with the large sandstorm. Anything that could be recycled was. Everyone in Unkar's household was assigned to either scavenging or cleaning duties for the wreckage. Unkar even gave up his real food for ration packets in order to squeeze every druggat out of the recently unearthed ship.

Rey was no longer chained, but she was now required to sit at the cleaning tables with Grekka, under the watchful eye of Plutt from his exchange booth. The scavenger crews brought in salvage by the power sleds and speeders. Unkar had about two dozen slaves working on the wreckage, with another three dozen freelancers who exchanged salvage for ration packets.

Ships were constantly arriving from other systems, purchasing the salvage from Unkar, and leaving again. Usually one ship every few days would arrive, but never more than one ship per day.

Which is why when five ships landed around the small Niima Outpost, surrounding the complex, everyone knew they were being raided. Pirates raced down the boarding ramps, firing blasters at anything in the bazaar. Particle blasts burst glass bottles hung from a stand, shattering glass everywhere. Other blasts ignited the fabric awnings over the booths.

Unkar quickly closed his booth, grabbing a recovered E-11 blaster that still had a charge. He shot at anything that moved. Fortunately, the sight was off balance, and he missed hitting anyone.

The workers in the booths and at the cleaning tables scattered in every direction, looking for cover. Some of the pirates grabbed every item they could from the cleaning station and then broke into Unkar's trading post. Other pirates grabbed anyone they could lay their hands on for the Hutt slave trade.

After falling while running away, Grekka was taken by an alien Rey had never seen before. Grekka struggled as she was taken up the ramp of a freighter near the cleaning station.

Rey tried to run faster, trying to get to the safety of her cellar, but a human male with long dark braids grabbed her from behind and lifted her up. Rey kicked and screamed, elbowing the man in the ribs. She threw her head back and knocked the man in his forehead. She did it again, hitting some of his teeth out. The man grabbed onto her chest even harder, trying to squeeze the air out of her. Rey screamed, "Ani! Help!"

She kicked the man in his belly again as she tried to break free. Another man joined him and grabbed her by the legs while the first pirate grabbed her arms. They carried Rey this way between them back to their ship. "She's going to bring a nice price. Such spirit," remarked the first pirate. "So young! Voras will want this one for his personal household, I'm sure."

Rey continued to struggle in their grasps. She knew that Hutts were bad. Her mommy had warned her never to go near them. She wiggled some more, desperate to break free.

As she struggled, the man holding her feet jerked his head backward and then fell to the ground, releasing Rey from his grasp. Rey then saw Ani as he threw his whole body at the first pirate's chest, knocking him to the ground and freeing Rey.

Rey quickly got to her feet and ran faster than she knew was possible. She called on the Force to power her legs, running at full speed to Unkar's dwelling a click away. Ani continued to run interference for her, toying with her would-be abductors.

* * *

When Rey reached the cellar trap door, the doors were closed, but not locked—definitely not how she left them this morning. She warily opened one of the doors and crawled inside, feeling around with the Force as Ani had taught her. She could feel Unkar hiding in a corner in fear behind some shipping crates. Rey ignored him and ran to the back wall.

She found her handholds in the rough wall and crawled up into the rafters one more time. This was her safe hold—because there was nothing stored under the rafters, any intruder would just look around the empty space and spend the rest of his time searching among the shipping crates, never thinking there was anyone above him.

Rey calmed her breathing and tried emptying her mind of everything. She grabbed one of the tension poles that were stored in the rafters, barely able to lift it, but determined to push anyone back with it if they found her.

Rey tensed as she heard the cellar doors creak open. A rough male voice spoke in a language she did not understand: "Koose doe nyeeka!"

Rey felt them searching through the crates. Rey tensed as she listened to their movements, feeling through the Force. She knew that it would not take them too long until they found Unkar. Rey quietly moved further back in the rafters, but she dropped her pole when it hit a rafter slat.

Both of the pirates looked at each other at the noise. The lead held his hand to his mouth, indicating for them to be quiet. He motioned with his hand for the other to go to the rafters. The first pirate continued searching behind the crates.

Rey crouched, ready to attack, as the second pirate tried to scale the wall, with little results. Then she heard a crash from below as a crate fell and saw a bright flash of red light, followed by a thud.

Another flash, and some of the rock wall went flying, but the second pirate was not hit. He jumped down and turned toward Unkar in one motion, bringing his weapon to bear on the Blobfish. Unkar ducked behind a crate, as the pirate hit the crate with his blaster fire. Unkar fired back multiple times, as the crate he was hiding behind caught fire. Finally, the second pirate went down.

Unkar yelled, "Girl, come out now. They're dead."

Rey moved cautiously, the rafters creaking. "No." She felt around her and knew there were more coming. "There's more coming."

She could feel the fear magnify in Unkar. He quickly hid behind more crates. Rey just wished she had that blaster in her hand—they would not have gotten this far!

Now another five came down the ladder, having entered from the rear of the building. Rey tensed again, wondering where her granddad was. She knew someone was taking out pirates near the front of the dwelling, and she hoped it was he.

The leader of this group yelled, "Unkar, we know you're down here! Come out!" A few tense moments of silence. "Your behind on your tribute to Voras—he was especially upset that he wasn't told about the new ship being uncovered. Come now, and it won't be so bad."

Unkar moved his blaster between crates and shot, missing everyone and giving away his position. "Fine, we'll do this the hard way." The leader made a few hand motions, and his henchmen surrounded the corner Unkar was in. While two fired from one side of the corner, three others advanced and took Unkar.

"Please, don't shoot, don't shoot! I surrender!" begged Unkar, shaking.

"We're not going to shoot, Unkar!" spoke the leader with a nod to his henchmen. They punched him in the stomach, knocking the air out of him. "Voras just wants you to remember that you are in Hutt Space and that you owe your allegiance to him."

He nodded again, and a henchman hit Unkar on the back of the head with his blaster butt. "Your tribute just went up to forty percent. What we retrieved from the bazaar will be a down payment on your back tribute. And, Voras will be leaving a tribute collector here to make sure this does not happen again. Understood?"

Unkar drew his face back in fear and nodded his head.

"I can't hear you!"

"Understood. Understood!" answered Unkar weakly.

They dropped Unkar to the floor and exited the cellar. Unkar hyperventilated, grateful that they left but quietly mumbling, "I'm ruined. I'm ruined."

Rey waited patiently for Ani. She could not get down by herself, and she did not trust Unkar to touch her. Besides, she was sickened by Unkar's cowardice. She could hear blaster fire outside, the fire from the bazaar raging, and finally the engines of spaceships firing up. It would not be long before the pirates would be gone.

Finally, she felt all five craft lift off, shaking the cellar floor with the blast of their engines. After she heard Unkar crawl up into the main house, Rey breathed a sigh of relief. And then Ani appeared. "Granddad!"

"Rey, are you all right?" he asked, very concerned.

"Fine. Help me down?" she asked.

"No."

"What?"

"I was wrong Rey. I can't be doing everything for you if you're going to survive. I thought Unkar's was safe for you, but I was wrong," explained Ani.

"How am I supposed to get down? Jump?"

"No. You have the means. Work it out." Ani nodded his head and looked at the long pole she held in her hands.

Rey took the pole and dragged it to the edge of the rafters near the wall where she climbed up. There was enough room to drop the pole between the rafters and lean it across the crossbeam, but it was too steep to provide a safe descent.

"Not that way. Think it through," encouraged Ani.

"How can I secure it?" asked Rey. "I don't have any rope."

"Tension. Make some tension," spoke Ani.

Rey knew she could not prop it between two walls, but maybe if she leaned it against the crossbeam at the top and where the wall met the floor at the bottom . . . then she would slide down the pole.

When she reached the floor, Ani took the pole and broke it in half. He gave her one half and took the other one himself. Her beam ended up being about 30 centimeters taller than Rey, but thin enough that she could grasp it easily in her hands. It was heavy enough that she struggled lifting it.

"Rey, after me," instructed Ani as he moved into his first position, his right hand gripped under the staff about a third of the way up with the right point held low and behind him. His right leg was pulled back behind his body, with his weight resting on it. His left leg was forward, with his left hand clenched over the staff one-third of the way from the other end. The staff was held at a 45-degree angle to the floor.

As they ran through the first few forms, Ani smiled and chuckled a little. Rey asked, "Am I doing it wrong, Granddad?"

"No, darling, you're doing just fine," approved Ani. "You just remind me of a ferocious Togruta I once knew, and I miss my little _ner'vod_." Rey could have sworn she saw a tear in Ani's eye; but then she knew she was imagining things, because ghosts cannot cry. Can they?

They spent the rest of the day and the next few weeks in training as Unkar rebuilt the bazaar. Each day Ani would work Rey hard in Padawan exercises, from running all over the cellar and around the exterior dwelling, to climbing over the crates, lifting objects with both her muscles and her mind, scaling the wall, climbing a rope hung from the rafters, as well as press-ups, sit-ups, and pull-ups. He knew he could not let Rey continue to be unable to defend herself, not if she was going to escape and have to fend for herself in this wasteland.


	8. Chapter 8--Electronics, Math & Wookiees

**CHAPTER EIGHT**

During the last month while Unkar was rebuilding the trading outpost, Ani and Rey trained intensively: physically, academically, and with the Force. Today was Rey's first day at the rebuilt outpost. Back to scrubbing, back to the heat. The pirates had taken all of the good products back to Voras the Hutt, but they had left the junk pile.

Today, Unkar had his guards haul the junk pile to the cleaning table. Rey looked up at a Unkar and argued, "This is all junk, Unkar. It doesn't even have a chance of working. Why waste our time?"

"Little girl, they left nothing else. Once it is cleaned, we are going to melt it for raw metal. Get going," ordered Unkar.

While she scrubbed away, Ani appeared next to her. He sat on the bench next to her, examining the pieces she was scrubbing. "Keep that piece," ordered Ani. "Hide it in your clothes when no one is looking."

Rey looked at him and nodded. A few more pieces later he instructed her again to take a piece. At the end of the day, Rey had snitched five different pieces, none of which had anything to do with the other. She hid them away in the cellar in one of the crates.

* * *

After Rey ate her ration portion, Ani appeared again. Rey stood, ready for training. "Rey, where are the pieces you took today? Go get them," directed Ani. Rey went to the almost-empty shipping crate and pulled them out. "Bring them over here. And go grab that glow-lamp."

Rey obeyed as Ani headed to another part of the cellar, looking for a particular crate. Over the last year, he and Rey had gone through each and every crate, discovering that they did not all hold rations or clothing. A few held tools and technical equipment. He hunted for the tools he needed and brought them to the area where Rey was sitting on the floor.

"Tonight, we are going to learn electronics. Trust me, you're going to need this," remarked Ani. They began with an introduction to the tools, how to open the different units, and reading circuit boards. One of the items Ani had directed Rey to swipe was an old datapad. He was hoping they could make it operational again.

Rey found a new pleasure as she worked with her hands on these items. She had no idea what each one was, but she trusted in the skills of her granddad.

Ani smiled as he watched the mechanics gene run true in Rey. She had a natural talent for it, just as he had. "Rey, one day you're going to leave this place."

"I know, when my mommy comes back," she said cheerfully as she worked on a piece.

"No, I mean Unkar's. You're not going to be a slave much longer," vowed Ani. "I need you to learn as much as you can as fast as you can. You must be ready."

* * *

For the next few months, Rey cleaned, stole, and repaired multiple parts. Ani always directed which ones to bring. And then, after she repaired, Ani instructed her in more academics, specifically mathematics, which Rey hated. "I don't know why I have to learn this nonsense," she complained.

"Rey, you're going to fly one day. You need this. Now, again, work through that problem," goaded Ani. He could not wait to take her up for her first flight. The day was getting closer.

The datapad Ani and Rey had salvage had allowed Ani to advance Rey's education further than the average ten-year-old's on Outer Rim planets, but she still was not up to the Inner Core standards. Rey may still be small in stature, but she had a good brain and was very curious.

Rey enjoyed learning the languages and cultures of the different worlds best. Now that trade had resumed at Niima Outpost, traders from all over the galaxy came. Rey was fascinated by the variety of races and enjoyed it even more when she could pick out a few words that each race spoke. Primarily, they all spoke Galactic Basic, but frequently she would hear Huttese.

Once in awhile a freighter would arrive that was run by Wookiees. Because of their throat structure, the Wookiees were unable to speak anything except Shriywook, but they could understand Basic. Rey was drawn to them, and any time the Golden Oak would land she would run to them and beg for Wookiee hugs. The strange thing she could never figure out is how she understood them. The datapad did not have a module for Shriywook, yet she always understood them. They loved telling her about a famed Wookiee who owned the Millennium Falcon and had a human co-pilot named Han Solo. They referred to him as the Mighty Chewbacca, and they told many stories of how he had swindled the Hutts and foiled the Imperials in the years before she was born. They even mentioned that the pair had made the famed Kessel Run in less than fourteen parsecs once. Rey hoped that one day she would be able to meet this Mighty Chewbacca and his friend. Something inside her pulled at her heart about this Wookiee.

When Rey mentioned the Wookiees to Ani, all he would every reply was, "They were slaves, too, Rey. You can trust them." His voice was always full of regrets.


	9. Chapter 9--The Ravager

**CHAPTER NINE**

A few weeks later Rey found herself in an over packed landspeeder towing a repulsor lift out across the Goazan Badlands, headed for the salvage site. Ani hovered next to her as the speeder traveled over the dunes, pointing out the different craft as they passed them.

"That's an X-Wing fighter," Ani spoke. The scavengers with Rey were silent and edgy. They knew that she was communicating with the Ghost of Vader, and they were afraid of any calamities that might occur if he were displeased. "It will be a good ship to scavenge for some of things you will need right away. Doesn't look like anyone has gotten to it yet."

"What's that?" asked Rey, pointing to something that was lying on its side with four legs.

"A walker—personnel transport."

"It's huge," remarked Rey.

"Wait until you see the _Ravager_!" mentioned Ani with a smile. He looked more closely at the walker and mentioned, "That might just do."

"What?"

"No one has touched that walker yet, either. Probably too busy with the star destroyer. I think we might be able to make use of it for you, Rey," spoke Ani as he thought through the requirements Rey would need.

Rey looked out across the wasteland, unsure of what her granddad meant. More TIE fighters appeared, solar panels in pieces, half-buried in the sand. Other ships were barely noticeable above the sand, impossible to determine what they were. But nothing could prepare her for the Super Star Destroyer _Ravager_ when the speeder pulled around a cliff.

Ani spoke as Rey sucked in her breath, "The Super Star Destroyer _Ravager_ , 19 kilometers in length, 13 thrust engines, over 5,000 turbo lasers and ion cannons. Minimum crew 280,000."

"How do you know all this, Gr- Ani?" asked Rey.

"Her sister ship, _The Executor_ , was my flagship," mentioned Ani with a certain longing in his voice.

The speeder pulled up to the central portside docking ring, which stood open to the elements and sand. A pile of sand had built up inside the entry hatch.

* * *

After disembarking the landspeeder, the salvage crew put gloves on and gave Rey a pair of large leather gloves. They kept slipping off, so one of the guys wrapped binding tape around the cuffs directly to Rey's wrists. The crew piled on equipment into backpacks and led Rey up the raked passageways. Because of the steep pitch of the ship in the sand, ropes had been strung down the decking for handholds. The crew struggled hand-over-hand up the ropes for kilometers, resting every so often.

During a break, Rey asked, "Where are you taking me?"

The leader did not say a word and motioned for the rest to be silent. "Can't say. There might be other scavengers around."

Ani spoke to her, "You're headed to the bridge, Rey."

"The bridge?"

"The command center. Must be something up there they need," spoke Ani.

After two hours of climbing, they reached a real ladder that scaled a bulkhead. However, due to the incline of the ship, the ladder lay at a 75-degree incline over their heads. Climbing on it would require holding on for dear life as one's back would be to the current floor. Gravity would pull down the weight of the climbers as they tried to move to the bridge.

Rey noticed a sense of camaraderie among the salvage crew. As each of the team would enter the hatch to the bridge, the ones above him would pull him up. Rey was the second-to-last to go up, but she found it quite easy to scrabble up due to her slight form and all of the climbing Ani had been making her do in the cellar.

When Rey was up, she looked around at the bridge: the catwalk between the two command trenches. Then she notice her granddad's ghost walking slowly with his hands behind his back straight down the catwalk to the viewport. "Ani, what are you doing?"

"Remembering a time long-past," spoke Ani bitter sweetly. "Join with me, and I'll let you see what this looked like in her prime days."

Rey closed her eyes and allowed her awareness to meld with her grandfather's. All of a sudden she saw the bridge, lit in red. The blackness of space and an unknown starscape hung outside. Two other star destroyers passed by the viewport, colliding. Three officers stood to the portside. Another ten officers huddled around control panels in each of the command trenches. "Why is everything red, Ani?"

"That is how I remember it. My life-support mask had red lenses," mentioned Ani. Rey puzzled over that last statement. The tone with which her grandfather had said indicated he did not want to discuss it further.

The leader, whose name she had figured out was Kurat'suh, spoke to his team, "This is where the fun begins. Unkar has an order for the computer modules. We're going to disable the entire array from both trenches and then lower them through the viewport. Let's get going. Girl, you stay close to me. We will need you to get into the tight crawl spaces."

Rey nodded. As the crew took off their gloves for precise manipulation of their tools, Rey stripped the binding tape off her wrists, removed her gloves, and shoved them into the carryall bag Unkar had given her earlier that day. As the day wore on, the temperature climbed in the _Ravager_. Without the life-support devices working, Jakku's intense heat turned the _Ravager_ into an oven.

Sweat pouring down each scavengers face did nothing to help as they used their portable power tools to unbolt the computers from the deck. Eventually, Kurat'suh called Rey over. "Think you can get in there, girl?" he asked, pointing at a small access panel. "Undo all the bolts and wires?"

"Give me a spanner," she said, holding her hand out. Kurat'suh dug a hydrospanner out of his toolbag and handed it to her. He also gave her a pair of pinchers and torque driver. He also took out a headlamp, securing it to her skull and turning it on.

Rey knelt down at the narrow access tube and crawled inside. It was slightly cooler inside the crawlspace, but tight. It did not take long for her to reach the first terminals connections. Two bolts secured it to the deck inside the crawlspace and many leads scattered off in different directions down the tube. Rey started on the bolts, tugging and pushing until one finally moved. The other was stuck tightly.

Rey sat down and took a break, frustrated. Ani spoke, "You're getting it, Rey. What do we do in the cellar when something won't move?"

"Use more Force," answered Rey.

"Yes, but not _more_ Force, but _the_ Force. Try again," encouraged Ani. Rey screwed up her face in concentration and tried using the Force on the bolt. After a few seconds of hesitation, it started unscrewing slowly. "Very good!"

"How about these wires?" asked Rey.

"You can't disconnect them without cutting them. Use your pinchers; there's a cutting feature near the joint," explained Ani.

Rey reached up and snipped the wires. She then crawled back to the access port. "First one's done. Had to cut the wires, though. They were kilometers long and would take all day just to do one set."

"Can't be helped. Go in order and finish up the rest in this trench, then we'll do the other trench. Bang on the unit when you're done so we can pull it out," instructed Kurat'suh.

Rey crawled back in and started on the next one. Ani kept her company, teaching her about the different wires and terminals: where the led to, what they controlled, and how she could salvage them later herself. "Rey, remember that AT-AT we saw on the way here?"

"Yes," she answered while loosening a bolt.

"That's going to be your new home," spoke Ani.

"When?"

"Soon. Very, very soon."


	10. Chapter 10--The Girl with the Staff

**CHAPTER TEN**

It had been another successful, but long day at the _Ravager_. Unkar's salvage crew hurried across the desert as the sun dipped below the horizon. The landspeeder pulled a repulsor sled filled with heavy equipment very slowly. Rey sat in the middle of the repulsor sled on top of the pieces of metal housing what they had removed from the star destroyer, her staff slung across her back.

After an hour of travelling at a slower-than-normal pace, the sun dipped beyond the horizon, leaving the desert lit only by the two moons of Jakku. The temperature dropped quickly. A few more kilometers across the desert, and everyone in the landspeeder was dozing, except for the pilot. Rey dozed against the cargo on the repulsor sled, hungry and exhausted after a long day on the spacecraft.

She awoke to the whine of speeder engines of all types. She felt her speeder come to a halt as she looked around. They were surrounded by free-lance scavengers on a variety of speeders. Weapons were trained on Unkar's scavengers. The free-lancers took their adversary's weapons and ordered them out of the speeder. They did not see Rey yet.

Rey crouched down behind the salvage, waiting for her chance to pounce, staff in hand and ready to use. As one of the free-lancers approached the repulsor sled, Rey jumped from her hiding place toward him, swinging her staff at his head. She landed on the edge of the repulsor lift, maintaining a slight height advantage. She swung left, then right, and then kicked the man in the nose, blood spurting everywhere.

The man reached for Rey's legs, but she smacked her staff down on his arm, cracking it. Rey jumped back, right into the arms of another free-lancer who had jumped on the sled behind her. He grabbed her from behind, but she slammed her foot down on the inside of his foot and then elbowed the man in the gut. Rey whipped around, bringing her staff under the man's chin and kicking him off the sled.

Rey then ran quickly over the sled toward the rear, jumping down into the sand dune. She continued to run as fast as she could across the sand dunes, running toward the star destroyer.

Once she was over a sand dune, she hunched down in the sand which was finally cooling off. She took a small drink of water from her nearly empty water canteen. And then it hit her—she had no idea which way to go. If she headed toward Unkar's, she would have to deal with the free-lancers. If she headed any other direction, she could end up being lost on the dunes forever.

She heard the lonesome cry of a gnaw-jawers. These six-legged, carnivorous predators roamed the desert in the cool of the night, looking for meals. As Rey was about to give up and cry, she heard Ani's voice. "Rey," he spoke with an echo.

"Where are you, Granddad?"

"Come to me," spoke Ani without revealing himself. "Look to the stars. Follow the bright one over those dunes to your right. You'll find me there."

Rey stood wearily, using her staff for balance and started her trek across the dunes. In this one night, Rey learned exactly how tiring it was to walk in deep sand for long periods of time. As she moved through the desert, the jaw-gnawers picked up her trail. Their howls getting closer. Rey picked up her speed the best that she could, trying to evade the beasts.

As she topped on the next dune, she looked over a vast valley to see an Imperial AT-AT Walker lying on its side. She slid down the sand dune quickly, leaving the gnaw-jawers at the top of the dune. They whined as they looked for a safe passage down.

When Rey reached the walker, Ani apparated in front of her. "You found me, my little one." He waved his hand and the jaw-gnawers scattered, yapping in pain. "Now let's get inside, before the gnaw-jawers return. They are easily frightened, but they'll soon be back, and in greater numbers."

Rey scowled at him. "You couldn't have helped me?"

"I was busy. We couldn't afford to take advantage of all opportunities. Now come inside. This is your new home."

Rey opened the troop evacuation port on underside of the walker and crawled into the tube. She stopped in the troop staging area, an open space in the bottom half of the walker.

"When I saw the raid, I hurried to Unkar's to grab some food for you and your things. Eat and then sleep, my little one," instructed Ani.

"Yes, Granddad," obeyed Rey as she looked around in her new home, feeling suddenly alone.

Ani sat down with his back against the bulkhold of the walker and beckoned Rey to him. Rey settled down and fell asleep in her granddad's arms, just like she used to do when she was younger.


	11. Chapter 11--The X-Wing

**CHAPTER ELEVEN**

The sun was streaming in through the open port. When Rey awoke the next morning, she had a hard time figuring out where she was. Ani had left in the night. As she sat up and looked around the interior of the walker, she saw crates stacked around her that were not there the night before.

Rey groaned and stretched before rising. This was the first day in five years she had nothing to do—well, unless Ani appeared and ran her through training again. Rey grabbed some of the bread and cheese left over from last night's dinner, washing it down with some water. Then she started opening up the crates, inventorying what Ani had brought from Unkar's cellar during the night. Two crates held ration packets and one crate her tools.

After scraping a day mark at the top of the bulkhead, Rey explored the rest of the walker. One level above her was a troop transport area with 300 jump seats. There was also a refresher complex with 8 units, all canted at a 90-degree angle. _Looks like behind the walker will have to do for now_ , thought Rey. _Maybe these can be salvaged eventually._

She moved around, not finding much else that would be useful to her survival. However, there was much that could be salvaged. Yet, she would need to find a way to get them to Niima Outpost.

* * *

When Rey climbed back down to the troop staging area, Ani had returned. He had added a few more crates to the pile. "Good morning, Rey," he greeted.

"Good morning, Granddad. What's in the crates?" asked Rey.

"Your medkit, some clothing, a small gas stove, some water, and some kitchen supplies," indicated Ani. "Not a lot of gas in the stove, though, so we're going to need to come up with something more permanent. But first, I want to show you something. Bring your tools and some water."

* * *

Ani led Rey two kilometers away to the downed X-Wing fighter he had pointed out a few months before. It was still relatively cool when they arrived, the sun having risen only an hour before.

When Rey saw it, she ran to it and ran her hand over the fuselage. "It's beautiful!" she exclaimed. Then she saw the astromech droid in the socket, fried from a laser blast. "Oh, what a shame," she cried. "Poor little guy didn't stand a chance."

Ani smiled at her. "First, we need the power converters and two of the engines. Maybe take off a sheet of the fuselage to use as a sled," suggested Ani.

Rey took out her hydrospanner and disassembled a piece of the sheet metal. It took a few hours, but in the end she had disassembled two of the engines and the power converters as Ani instructed her. "You're also going to need the controls out of the cockpit."

Rey moved over to the canopy and tried to open it, but the hinge was frozen with sand. She grabbed a brush from her tools and scraped it clear. Finally, the latch opened. With a lot of grunting and positioning her body for proper leverage, she opened the canopy, opaque with dirt. When she looked inside, she screamed: what was left of a Rebel pilot greeted her, helmet still on, and orange polyester flight suit still in good condition.

Ani indicated, "Don't worry, Rey. There's not much left to him. He's been there for twenty years. I doubt there's more than bones left. Just grab him under the arms and pull him out."

Rey fought down all her revulsion of touching a dead person and did as her granddad had instructed. It was hard work, and the more she tugged, the more parts of him got caught. She took off the helmet and threw it onto the sled. The skull snapped off the neck at this point, which she sent skittering down a sand dune. She wedged herself in between the raised canopy and the back of the pilot's seat, standing on with both her feet on either side of the cockpit. She tugged again, and felt him loosen. One more tug, and he came with her as she fell off the X-Wing into the sand.

"Good! Now, hop inside the cockpit, and I'll show you what you need," mentioned Ani.

Rey climbed up into the cockpit and sat in the seat. She was in awe of how many instruments and controls there were. She aligned her feet into the pedals and grabbed the joystick. She moved it back-and-forth, pretending she was flying the craft, shooting down the enemy.

"Granddad, what does this one do?" she asked, pointing to an instrument.

"That's your targeting computer. It assists with firing torpedoes," mentioned Ani. "You're going to need a few of these, Rey, and we can sell the rest, so start taking apart the panel. Bring the joystick and the pedals as well. I'll be back."

* * *

A few hours later, and Rey had removed every instrument as well as the controllers. She was stripping the skeleton of his flightsuit to use as a tow line when Ani returned.

Ani was pleased to see her ingenuity. He was afraid they would have to remove the belt from her staff, which would have been difficult to reattach. "Let's get moving, Rey." Ani accompanied Rey as she dragged the sled the two kilometers back to her walker. In the distance, they saw a speeder heading from Niima Outpost out to toward the _Ravager_.

* * *

When they had returned to the walker, Ani instructed, "Bring the sled under this leg into the shade. Let the metal cool off so you can work with it after your meal."

"What am I going to do with it, Ani?"

"You'll see."

* * *

Once Rey had finished lunch, she opened the new crates Ani had most recently brought with him. Inside were all of the parts she had been swiping from the cleaning table. "Bring those, Rey. Time to build a speeder," indicated Ani.


	12. Chapter 12--The Speeder

**CHAPTER TWELVE**

When they arrived back to the AT-AT, Ani directed, "Grab the crate with the parts from the junk pile and bring it out here."

Rey obeyed and dragged the heavy crate out. Ani could have easily brought it with the Force, but he was purposefully having Rey do as much of the heavy work herself to build her strength. "Why do I need this junk?" asked Rey as she struggled with the heavy shipping crate.

"Open it. We're looking for the two repulsor lifts," explained Ani.

"The what?" asked Rey.

"The repulsor lifts. Start taking one part out at a time," instructed Ani. As she did, Ani identified each part. Then he had her go over the names again. Finally, he allowed her to take the two repulsor lifts and then instructed how to put the speeder together.

* * *

It took almost two months to finish the speeder, requiring not only time to assemble the piece, but salvaging from different wrecks as well. The most important pieces Rey had to salvage from the _Ravager's_ landing craft bays at night, so that the other salvage crews would not harass her. Ani was patient with her as she made mistakes or as parts that seemed to be fine needed to be repaired and reinstalled.

But today was the day. If Rey could not get the speeder to work she was going to have to hitch a ride with a salvage crew to Niima Outpost and sell the few parts she had left for rations. The ration packets Ani had stolen for were gone.

Rey climbed aboard the one-seater speeder. She primed the engine and flicked a few toggles before igniting the thrusters. The engines shuddered and then died. Rey tried the sequence again, holding her breath. And again. And again. And again. And still nothing. She kicked the speeder and banged on the top of it with her, yelling at it in frustration and ending up crying.

"Stop, Rey," Ani directed. "Your anger is not going to solve this problem."

"It's not going to work, Granddad!" screamed Rey.

"It will. Just need to figure out where the connection is loose," diagnosed Ani.

Rey hopped down off the speeder and raised the side of the engine compartment. "Trace the cables. Tighten every connection."

Rey did so and then tried the start-up sequence again. Nothing. Ani directed, "Check the hoses. Run your hands across each one, checking for any leaks."

Rey wiped her hands on her dirty clothes, wishing not for the first time for the luxury of a real bath, but knowing that would not be coming any time soon. She started with the hoses at the front of the compartment and worked her way to the rear thrusters. "Here it is—got a nick in this hose," mentioned Rey. She grabbed the binding tape out of her back and tightly wrapped the hose.

"We'll need to find a replacement hose eventually. That tape won't stand up to the heat that long," mentioned Ani.

When she had closed the engine compartment again, Rey climbed atop the speeder. She primed the engine, flipped the toggles, and hit the ignition. The engines coughed again. Rey hit the ignition again, and after a short cough they came to life! Rey screamed in exultation!

She grabbed the controls and hit the throttle with her foot. The speeder rocketed forward across the sand. Rey held on for dear life, as the power and the speed exhilarated her! She spent the next hour speeding around the graveyard, testing the small craft's abilities.

As the sun reached its zenith, Rey headed back to the AT-AT and grabbed her carry bag, stuffing as many parts as would fit inside it. She shoved her staff on her back, and climbed back on top of the speeder, heading into Niima Outpost.

* * *

Rey approached the bazaar with trepidation. Had it only been a few weeks since she was last here, forced to clean parts at that table? The parts she had with her were clean already, but she knew on her next trip she would be spending time at the table, paying a fee to use the scrubbers and the water.

There was a line of four beings in front of Unkar's trading booth. Unkar appeared to be in a bad mood today, but Rey could not do anything about it. She needed rations, and she needed them today. She grabbed the hooded cloak out of her bag and put it on. It made her sweat more, but she hoped Unkar would take her for a Teedo and not recognize her. She hoped he thought her dead after the speeder attack a few months ago.

When it was Rey's turn, Unkar yelled, "Next!" Rey reached up and put her pieces on the counter.

Unkar lifted the first piece and looked over it. He made a guttural response. Then he took the next piece, please with it as well. After looking at all twenty pieces, he indicated, "Five portions."

Rey was upset. She knew they were worth more. "Those pieces have all been repaired! In working condition, they are worth forty pieces."

"Ha! But who else will buy them from you?" asked Unkar. Rey bit her lip. She needed those rations, but she was not going to just take what Unkar offered without at least trying for more. Then he took a good look at her. "So, the little girl didn't die." He made some quick movements toward his two guards out of Rey's sight.

Unkar turned and started counting out the sealed portion packets as his guards came around to the front of the booth and grabbed Rey from behind. Right before they grabbed her, Rey took her staff in hand and swung it strongly against the first attacker. She kicked, bit, and swung left, right, up, and down. Ani joined in, taking out the other attacker.

Unkar yelled, "It's Vader! It's Vader!"

When both men were down, Rey turned back to Unkar and stated, "I will now take my forty portions." Unkar quickly grabbed another twenty portions, looking around nervously for the Vader's Ghost. Ani played with him, banging the booth near Unkar's head, making him jump. Rey heard Ani giggle a little and had a hard time keeping her face straight as she loaded the portions into her bag.

* * *

After trading ten of her portions for two large containers of water and hanging them with a rope over the top of the engine compartment, Rey headed back to the walker. Tomorrow, she would start scavenging for real.

As she bundled down on the floor of the walker for bed, she asked Ani, "Granddad, who's Vader?"

"Someone who doesn't exist anymore, sweetie. I wish he had never existed," admitted Ani as Rey turned out her glow-lamp.


	13. Chapter 13--X-Wings and Pilots

**CHAPTER THIRTEEN**

Over the last month, Rey was trapped a total of five days in the walker due to sandstorms. During this time, Ani showed her how to turn the refresher units to the current angle. Fortunately, because the walker was straight off the assembly line during the Battle of Jakku, the refreshers were empty.

Ani had taken care of the corpses in the pilot's compartment, burying them in the dunes kilometers away. He had also showed Rey how to set up traps around the walker to keep the jaw-gnawers away.

While Rey was trapped, she updated her day markings from the record she had at Unkar's. Each of the 1917 days had its own mark on the wall behind the permanent stove she had built from some sheet metal and elements found on the _Ravager_. She had taken a cargo net and hung it as a hammock in one corner—much better than sleeping on the hard deck.

But now she was at her wits' end. Another day trapped and nothing to do. She sorted through the few pieces of salvage she had in the corner, seeing if they could be repaired or relegated to the melting pile. Two of the three were only good for melting after their burn-outs. She cleaned the last one and then looked around for something else to do. At least the cellar had room for her to climb and run. The walker was like a prison for Rey on days like this.

She grabbed her staff and practiced her forms, but she had to stop when she knocked her pan off the stove. She sat down cross-legged, frustrated, manipulating the first thing that came to hand—the X-Wing pilot's flight suit she had used for hauling the impromptu sled from the X-Wing a month ago. She rubbed it and felt the fabric. She looked around, her eyes settling on the helmet she had brought with her.

Rey stood up, put the helmet down, and grabbed her knife from her toolbag. She cut the white flack jacket into pieces that would become a doll. Then she cut the orange polyester to form the flight suit around the white stuffing. She used binding tape on the back to close the seams. Last, she took some twine and tied a the flight harness around the figure.

Then she put her helmet on and grabbed her doll. She started, "Green arrows, report to the flight deck. Green arrows, report to the flight deck." She moved the doll to run across the deck, landing it on her left leg. Rey grabbed one of the burned-out, cylindrical fuses and laid it down flat on the deck.

A few days before she had found the recording of the last battle in an A-Wing cockpit. She had been able to play it back on the residual power in the cockpit. She tried to remember the chatter over the comm that was recorded.

"Green arrows, prepare for launch. On our mark, three, two, one, launch, launch, launch!" She lifted her pilot doll on the fuse and soared the fuse around the room, twisting it and turning it.

After a few minutes of weaving in and out all over her room in the walker, Ani appeared. "I would have used a high side gun pass there," corrected her granddad. He waved his arm, and the other burned-out fuse rose as the attacker. "Fly it with the Force this time, Rey."

Rey took her hand off the fuse and flew it around the room, trying dodge her granddad's fighter. "Think through it. As I come at you, break right and up, then roll back on my tail and snag me."

Rey did as she was directed and got him. Next Ani grabbed the last fuse that was actually working. "Now, you will be my wingman, and this fuse will be the attacker. Watch it come toward us, then you break right and I'll break left. Good!"

Ani continued to play with her, teaching her the different maneuvers and when to use them. He could not wait to show her the flight simulators on board the _Ravager_.


	14. Chapter 14--Power Gens & Flight Sims

**CHAPTER FOURTEEN**

Rey awoke later that night to discover the sandstorm had stopped. It was time to head out to the _Ravager_ for salvage. The salvage target for the day determined the time Rey would work. If it were the _Ravager_ , she would sleep all afternoon and work at night in the dark after the other salvagers had headed back to the Niima Outpost. If she were going to salvage one of the smaller craft, she would leave at sunrise and work until the craft became to hot to touch with her bare hands.

Because of the sandstorm, Rey did not run into any other salvagers heading back to the bazaar. She would have the ship to herself! After she climbed into the access port and shut it behind her, Ani appeared. "Come with me," he instructed and led her into the aft bowels of the ship. They stopped in front of a sealed blast door.

"How am I going to get in there, Granddad?" asked Rey.

"We'll use the door," remarked Ani.

Rey gave him an annoyed look.

Ani answered, "Trust me." Rey nodded her head as Ani instructed, "Remove that panel to your left." Rey removed her driver and used it to take the access panel off the wall. "Now, you see the fuse? I want you to twist it one quarter turn to your left but don't remove it this time."

Rey followed his instructions, surprised when the blast door slowly opened before her. It did not open all the way, but it left a big enough of a hole for Rey to jump through. "What is this place, Granddad?"

"The power station for the ship," explained Ani. "We're going to see if we can get it started again."

"Don't the engines have to be running?" asked Rey.

"These are battery-driven supplies. The batteries recharge with solar radiation or the engines. If we can get the solar panels uncovered at some point, we can insure that the power will stay on indefinitely—or at least as long as you need it," spoke Ani. "But we should have enough power for tonight at least. Standard Imperial procedure shuts the life-support down and internal power down when a ship is on a collision course with a planet to prevent additional explosions on impact."

"Doesn't it have to be controlled from the bridge?" asked Rey.

"Generally, yes, but the bridge controls are gone, so we'll use the local panels here," spoke Ani. "Come over here to this control center." Rey walked over the raked deck to the panel on the wall which housed multiple banks of large toggle levers. "Grab these ten big levers, and start pushing them up one at a time."

Rey grabbed the first one and pushed with all of her strength but it barely budged. "Get under it and use leverage and leg strength to help you," instructed Ani. Rey tried again, successful this time. All of a sudden a bank of the power supplies started crackling and humming with electricity running through them. Rey continued with each switch in order. Some were easier than others to throw.

"Good. Now come over here to this display and let's see what the power levels are," instructed Ani.

Rey looked at the display as it came to life. It asked for an authorization code. "Small problem, Granddad. Need a code."

"Try this . . ." Ani thought for a few seconds and then provided, "Vev-aurek-dorn- two-one-esk-resh-three-seven."

Rey punched in the code and watched the screen move to the level panel. Most of the banks showed full power while pulling in additional power through the solar panels. One of the systems was at a critical low level, though.

Ani mentioned, "That part doesn't matter. It belongs to the galley and medbays areas. We aren't using either. Life support systems, lights, weapons, flight control systems, and auxiliaries are all up and running. Shut down everything except life support, lights, and auxiliaries; and then follow me."

"Where are we going, Granddad?" asked Rey as she shut down the correct panels.

"To the flight deck," revealed Ani. "It's time for your first flying lesson."

* * *

As Rey progressed through each of the compartments, she had to open each blastdoor. Because the lifesupport systems were on and the craft was reading hull breeches, each blastdoor had shut automatically. Also, because the power was on, the override fuses in the side panels did not work. Rey had to punch in Ani's override code for each blastdoor.

When they reached the flight deck, Rey was saddened when there were no TIE fighters left. They had either all been scavenged already, or they were deployed when the _Ravager_ crashed. However, Ani was not perturbed. He was not looking for a TIE fighter, or a shuttle, or a troop transport. He wanted to use a flight simulator.

There was a bank of a dozen of the simulators at the end of the flight deck furthest away from the launch bay. Ani opened the first one up, and Rey climbed inside. He programmed the simulator for a beginning flight program, including planet-side launch, gliding, and landing. He chose a _Lambda_ -class shuttle for Rey's first vehicle, as it was the one vehicle of all the Imperial vessels that was specifically designed with aerodynamics for atmospheric maneuvers.

As the access hatch to the flight simulator closed, Ani apparated next to Rey. "This is programmed for a shuttle. We're going to work on atmospheric basics." As the program started up, the holofield around the cabin changed to the interior of a shuttle. An image of the exterior of the shuttle appeared on her control screen. "Usually, there is a co-pilot for this craft. I have programmed the simulator to handle all of the co-pilot's responsibilities.

"The first thing you will need to do, is run a pre-flight check. We'll go over the exterior check on a real shuttle one day, but today, we'll just do the cabin check." Ani talked her through each of the controls, what they did, and what the normal readings were.

"This is your pitch controller. Pulling back on it will raise the shuttle vertically; pushing down will send it down. It controls the repulsor lifts and the vertical boosters. To bank, turn this joystick to the left or the right.

"This other control handles your wings. When landed, the wings are in a vertical position, almost touching your stabilizer. As you take off, the wings automatically extend at a predetermined rate as you clear the landscape. In atmospheric maneuvers, the wings are necessary for stabilization and direction control.

"Speed his handled with the throttle, which on this unit is controlled by this touchpad. Maximum acceleration is 1,400 gravity units. Top sublight speed is 50 megalight. Maximum atmospheric speed is 850 kilometers per hour.

"You have 2 SFS-204 ion engines, which can be disabled with ion cannons. Avoid those at all times. Hyperdrive is SFS S/ig-37 hyperdrive, Class 1.0. It can carry 20 passengers and 80 metric tons of cargo. It is 20 meters long, so make sure you have adequate space to land, with enough clearance behind for your thrusters not to fry vegetation or buildings behind it. You also have 2 forward laser cannons."

Rey nodded, trying to memorize everything Ani had said. She was already confused.

"The first thing I want you to take into consideration is the weather. Check your display and tell me what it is," instructed Ani.

Rey pushed a few buttons on the control screen before finding the weather report. "Clear with wind at five knots SWS. Ceiling and visibility unlimited."

"Good. You should not feel any resistance this time. Double-check that all hatches are closed, life-support is active, exterior lighting is on, and external vids show a cleared area for launch," ordered Ani. Once Rey had figured out how to do this, he said, "Fire up your repulsor thrusters by grabbing that control. Hold your hand on steady on the pitch. Gently raise the shuttle and push it forward. Feel the shuttle through the Force as it goes through the atmosphere."

Rey followed his lead, watching the viewscreen of the windshield show the planet disappearing below them. "Granddad, I can't feel the shuttle in the atmosphere. This is a simulator."

Ani smiled at her. "I know. But I want you to get in the habit now, so when you fly for real, you'll do it naturally."

By now they were circumnavigating the planet at 650 kph. The planet below was another desert planet, but it was not Jakku, as it had two suns. Ani had her move the simulator up and down in elevation and practice her banking. After logging five flight hours in the simulator, he instructed her how to land. She only crashed twice before she got that down.

When she jumped out of the simulator, she yelled, "Wow! That was amazing, Granddad! When can I do this again?!"

Ani smiled at her in pride. The Skywalker flying genes were running true in this young one. He begrudgingly admitted that she probably got some of her talent from her dad, too. "Tomorrow. But now, we need to override most of the blast doors and shut down the power generator before anyone finds out. Hurry now!"

Rey grabbed her staff from outside the simulator and attached it to her back as she scurried back through the corridors and down the ladders to the power generators. It did not take her long to finish shutting down the generator.

Ani then suggested, "You probably should salvage a few pieces before heading back home. The others will be arriving soon. The sun is rising."

Rey, filled with an enthusiasm she had not felt since she had come Jakku five years earlier, quickly pulled off electrical equipment from the galley. She figured if the power was down in there, only thing left was to scavenge it all.

As she sped away from the _Ravager_ , the salvage crews sped in, each going to a separate place on the star destroyer. She hurried straight into Niima Outpost to clean and trade her salvage before heading back to sleep off the heat. Her goal was to head back to the _Ravager_ at twilight and spend as many hours as possible in that simulator!


	15. Chapter 15--TIE Fighter Salvage

**CHAPTER FIFTEEN**

Rey woke early, before the sun was even cresting the dunes. After six months of flight training in the simulator on the shuttle program, Ani was finally going to let her try out the TIE-fighter program. However, she had to salvage a working TIE-pilot helmet in order to access the heads-up display feeds. Today, she would scavenge the TIEs around the _Ravager_.

Once she had made her breakfast and grabbed her tools, she headed out into the cool desert night. The moons were still up as she fired up her speeder and headed over the dunes past the _Ravager_. A couple of TIEs had crashed near the hull of the _Ravager_ , which were her targets.

When Rey pulled up to the nearest one, Ani appeared. "How do I get in?" The TIE was only recognizable by the solar panels which poked above the dunes. It had been left alone because of how far down it was buried.

"Clear the sand away from the top and pop the hatch," instructed Ani.

Rey took her little shovel from her bag and dragged the sand to the side. After a few minutes, she was able to pop the hatch and climb into the submerged TIE fighter. The pilot was still at the controls in the cockpit, missing an arm, the glass broken in pieces and sand banked about 100 centimeters on the deck. Rey lifted the remains of the pilot, mostly bones, and dragged him to the back of the cockpit, setting him on the floor. She unlatched the helmet from the life-support suit and tossed the helmet out of the roof hatch onto the dune outside.

Rey then took her spanner and started disassembling the fighter. Ani spoke, "Stop. Sit in the acceleration chair. Pretend like you're actually flying this fighter."

Rey climbed into the chair, sitting forward, as it was still much too big for her. She grabbed the controls, which were much different from the shuttle, and played with them. Around her were displays and touch controls as well as the wheel. After she had become accustomed to the feel, Ani pointed out what each control did.

An hour later he tested her quickly with name and function of each control. Then he required her to activate each control as he called them out. After a few hours, Ani showed her how to perform a pre-flight check on the interior, something he had been unable to show on the simulator. They would have to move to a less-buried TIE to learn the exterior and engine checks.

The sun was ascending high now, and the temperature was climbing past 40 degrees already. The TIE fighter was slightly cooler than the dunes, as it was buried, but Rey was already sweating profusely. She quickly disassembled the wheel, the control panels, and the digital displays for salvage.

By 1000 hours, however, she became violently ill and dizzy. "Granddad, I don't feel so well," she indicated.

"Let's get you back then. Come on, hop out of the hatch," instructed Ani. "We can fly another day."

Rey jumped in the cockpit, caught the lip of the hatch, but could not pull herself up in her weakened state. "I can't, Granddad." Rey collapsed on the sandy deck.

"Use the Force, Rey," instructed Ani.

Rey closed her eyes and tried, but she could not focus. She had a killer headache. Sweat was beading on her face now, but Ani was not sure if it was from Jakku's temperature or her illness. Ani looked around one last time for anything that he could take with him, and then he noticed the power generator in the back of the cockpit, half-covered by the pilot's corpse. It was cracked. Ani grabbed Rey in one swoop and lifted her out of the cockpit. He set her on the speeder, and started it up with the Force.

Rey cried out, "Granddad, what about the salvage?"

"It's contaminated, Rey. We can't take it with us," answered Ani as they raced over the top of the _Ravager_ to the entry port.

* * *

When Ani stopped the speeder, Rey fell off into the sand, unable to move. He lifted her again, carrying her to the power room. There were already other scavengers in the ship, but he had to get the power up in the sickbay.

Ani lay her on the floor and pulled the cables for the medbay from its broken generator and swapped it out with the engineering power. This ship was never going to fly again, anyway. He started up the power generator, using his old access code. Fortunately, after his death and the emperor's deaths, there was no one else left with the right codes to deactivate his. As the ship came to life, Ani patched into the control panel again and opened all blastdoors except the flight decks.

* * *

He carried Rey to the sickbay a few decks up. When he arrived, he used the Force to detach a bed from its position in the middle of the room to lean it against a bulkhead. With the deck at a raked angle, this would provide a place to lay Rey in the V the bulkhead and the bed would make. He moved over to the One-Bee droid in the room, plugged it into a power outlet, and activated the device.

One Bee spoke, "I am Medical Droid 12-1B." His ocular device scanned the room. "How may I be of service?"

Ani spoke, "The girl. See to the little girl!"

One Bee spoke again, "Is there anyone there? How may I serve you?" The droid sent his ocular scanner across the room and finally registered Rey. "Oh, human female, approximately eleven standard years. Radiation poisoning. Decontamination and detoxification hypospray required."

Ani started throwing things around in the cabinets, looking for the detoxification hyposprays. When he found one he administered it to Rey in the back of her neck. Her little body jumped as he gave it to her.

Ani needed more information from the droid. He obviously could not hear Ani, so Ani started up the medical computer. He typed in, "What needs to be done for decontamination?"

The droid was confused with the request as he registered no one at the terminal in the room. "The patient must be stripped of all clothing and sent through the decontamination unit. There is one on the primary flight deck."

Rey moaned as another spasm of nausea hit her. She made a mess on the floor. Then she tried to stand to get to a refresher as she lost control of her bowels. She started to cry.

Ani helped her to the refresher unit. "Rey, it's going to be all right, eventually. Come on."

Ani lifted her to the refresher unit and helped her strip the contaminated and soiled clothes from her. The unit was at an angle, but Ani was able to tie Rey into a safety bar to keep her upright. He took the clothes outside of the ship and burned them a few kilometers away, downwind of the _Ravager_.

* * *

When he returned inside, he headed through the crew quarters, looking for anything that would fit Rey. Everything would swim on her, so Ani turned to another med bay and grabbed a few sheets off the beds and a roll of medical tape. He untied Rey from the support handle and bundled her up in one of the sheets, carrying the weakened little girl to the decon unit on the primary flight deck. As they moved through one deck, scavengers saw the little girl floating through the air and screamed, stepping back to give them room.

"Rey, tell them to stay back, that you are contaminated with radiation," instructed Ani.

Rey opened her mouth and struggled to say, "Stay back. Radiation. Contam—" The scavengers all stepped back, with some heading out of the ship as quickly as possible, believing that the _Ravager_ was contaminated.

Ani carried Rey into the flight deck and laid her down in the decon unit, removing the sheet. He went to the control panel and started up the unit, hoping it was not damaged during the crash landing. Everything appeared to be working normally, but only time would tell. Not for the first Ani wished his Force healing powers would work now that he was a ghost. He thought to himself as he waited for the decon unit to work, _How could I be so stupid. I should have checked for radiation! I'm surprised this is the first time we've run into it. I should have known! Oh, Rey, please be all right. You've got to be all right, Sweetie._

As the decon unit processed the radiation from Rey's cells, Rey whimpered, alone and scared in this strange unit. She had no idea why she was so sick, and she was mortified of how sick she was that she could not control herself. She turned her head and saw her granddad at the controls of the device, staring intently at her, worried and angry.

Then she knew it was all her fault. She did something wrong. He was mad at her. He would leave her now. Rey sobbed in confusion. "Granddad, please forgive me. I'm sorry. I couldn't help it. I'm sorry I messed your ship up. Granddad, don't leave me here!" She bawled as the device continued to run the program on her.

Ani appeared and stroked her hair. "Shhh, Rey, I'm not upset with you. Shhh, relax. Let the machine work."

Rey took a few deep breaths Ani stroked her hair. He took her hand in his other hand and held it. The particle waves and sonic showers had finished. Now, the grated base of the unit lifted a meter up and water jets with detergent scrubbed Rey for twenty minutes. Warm air was passed over her with fans, drying her from top to bottom.

Ani quickly apparated back to the sickbay and brought another sheet back with him. Rey did not even realize he had left. As the decon unit opened, Ani wrapped her in a clean sheet and carried her back to the sickbay units. He put her in a clean room and dragged the One-Bee droid into it.

The One-Bee droid ran its scanners over her again. "Decontamination has been successful. Another hypospray should be administered in six hours." The droid stuck out its arm and poked Rey in her arm, injecting a substance. "Anti-nausea and pain meds have been administered. Care should be taken to avoid radiation exposure in the future."

* * *

Ani allowed Rey to sleep in the medbay with the life-support systems running at full power for the next week. He found emergency rations on the flight deck in storage and brought them in for Rey. He also ran the ship's water purification system for Rey. He made plans to store the rest of the water from the ship for Rey's personal use in the future. He just needed to figure out how to get it to the walker.

While Rey rested, Ani ransacked the officers' quarters for any uniforms that might work for Rey. He ended up in the internal security officer's quarters—a major by the rank insignia on the chest. The tan uniforms would be better in this Jakku heat than the dark uniforms of the line officers. Ani stripped the insignia panel from the four uniform tunics stored there, and brought them and the jodhpurs to Rey's room. He ripped the sleeves from the tunics, cut the tunics shorter, and took in the width. The stiff, high collar would be too hot in this desert heat for Rey, so Ani cut the necks into V-necks. He took the smallest pair of boots he could find and cut the shaft to reach just above Rey's ankles. He took the excess fabric from the tunics and shoved them in the toes of the boots.

* * *

A few days later, the medical droid released Rey to go home. The scavengers had left the ship and not returned, afraid of ghosts and radiation. Rey dressed in the altered uniform. It did not fit very well, but it was better than nothing. Besides, one day she would grow into it. Ani shutdown the droid and the power on the ship before escorting Rey home on her speeder. He even stole some real food from Unkar's dwelling during Rey's recovery the next few weeks. It was also during this time that he converted the upper deck of the walker into a water storage tank and transferred the water from the _Ravager_ to the walker. It would not last forever, but Rey should be good for at least a few years.


	16. Chapter 16--TIE Advanced Simulator

**CHAPTER SIXTEEN**

It took a full month before Ani would allow Rey to return to scavenging and flight lessons. The first week back in the walker, fatigue wracked her little body. Feverish dreams attacked her each night. Rey tossed and turned in her hammock, swinging it back-and-forth.

 _She was so hot, standing out under Jakku's brutal sun. A large, scaly hand grabbed her little one as she reached to the sky toward the ship that had just launched. Rey screamed, "Mommy! Mommy! Come back! Come back!"_

 _Unkar's hand pulled Rey backward and yelled, "Quiet, girl!"_

Rey jolted to alertness as her hammock hit the bulkhead, banging her head against the wall. She cried as she woke up, putting her hand to her head. Ani appeared and put his arms around her, holding her head to dull the pain with pressure. "Hush, Rey, it was only a dream. I'm here."

Rey sniffed as she remembered the sequence. She could smell the ship's fuel, Unkar, and even the blood that ran from her nose where Unkar had hit her. And then it hit her! Rey screamed out, as if in pain! "Granddad! Granddad!"

"What's wrong, Rey?" asked Ani, confused. "Those people can't hurt you anymore. It was only a vision of the past. It's gone now."

"No, that's not it. Granddad, I don't remember what mommy looks like anymore," cried Rey, her hope for rescue dying with this realization.

Ani held her for a long time as she cried. Rey was not feeling fully well yet, and Ani was afraid to do anything that might upset her use of the Force. Since her sickness, any use of the Force just made her violently ill, her head reeled. Ani guessed that the sickness had taken the memory of her mother from her as well. "Rey, can you feel me, still? With the Force?"

Rey responded, "Umm-huh," as she barely nodded her head.

"That's good," spoke Ani.

"But what about mommy? Can't you take me to her, Ani?" asked Rey.

Ani, knowing the dangers that lay beyond Jakku for Rey, shook his head no. "But I can guarantee one thing, Rey."

"What?"

"Just as you feel me and know me to be your granddad, you will be able to feel your mommy when you see her—know that she is your relative," promised Ani. "The Force runs strong in our family, and you will feel it in within her, as with all of your family."

"Who are they?" asked Rey. "Where are they? Tell me, Granddad, please."

"Enough. They aren't here. Just know that you have a family. And one day you will meet them all, Rey. And you will save the Dark One and bring him back to the light."

During the next few weeks, Ani fed her with real food from Unkar's, trying to restore the weight she had lost during the radiation sickness.

Today, Ani allowed her to return to scavenging. Rey woke before dawn again, loaded her staff into the net on the speeder, and headed out. This time she avoided the TIEs around the _Ravager_ , instead heading toward the western side of the graveyard where a few TIEs were interspersed with a variety of snub fighters and escape pods.

When she pulled up to the first TIE, she took the medical scanner that her granddad had salvaged out of her carry-all bag. It sat beside three hyposprays of anti-rad meds. She flipped it on and walked all around the ship, testing for radiation and biological contaminants. When it was clear, she kept the scanner out as she opened the rear hatch. This TIE was not buried by the sand. Most of it was still intact, including the solar panels. Rey poked the scanner inside while she stood outside. When it read as clear, she entered the cockpit, testing the entire craft for radiation and biologicals. Ani appeared to her as she completed her test. Rey announced, "All clear, Granddad."

"Good, grab the pilot's helmet and come outside. I'm going to show you the exterior pre-check and engine check. Keep the scanner handy, just in case," instructed Ani before he disappeared.

* * *

After the pre-flight check instruction, Rey headed back to the _Ravager._ She was surprised to see no speeders around it. Instead, the other scavengers seemed spread out across the graveyard working on smaller ships. Rey shutdown her speeder; grabbed her staff, helmet, and bag; and headed to the power generator.

She fired up the life-support system and flight deck. Then she hurried off to the simulator. Once inside, she put the helmet on, lowering the blastshield. She punched in the codes to bring up the basic flight program.

The differences between the TIE-fighter and the shuttle were immense. Not only were the controls entirely different, but the whole sense of movement, too. The shuttle was sluggish at the throttle and flew like a brick. The TIE-fighter zipped and spun, messing with Rey's equilibrium quickly. Ani hovered in the simulator, giving quiet guidance as Rey became accustomed to the new craft.

* * *

It took about another month of training in the evening and scavenging during the day before Rey had completed the entire TIE-fighter simulator program. "What's next, Granddad?" asked Rey. "Troop transport?"

"No, troop transports are almost the same as the shuttle, just more of a brick. You need maneuverability," indicated Ani. He punched in a special code and a menu of additional craft came up. The first one was TIE-Advanced. Ani punched it and entered another security code, as this program was specifically for himself. "This is a true combat program, taken from my last flight as a combat pilot. Try this. You have two wingmen, but your shields and maneuverability are stronger in this TIE. And, Rey, it is very important that you use the Force during this exercise. It will give you an advantage."

Rey started her relaxation techniques, sending the battle-sharpened adrenaline to her limbs and slowing her heartbeat. When she was breathing calmly, she started the simulation.

She launched her TIE fighter in unison with her wingmen. They raced across the surface of a large spherical space station heading for their targets. Then she caught them—three Y-Wing snub fighters racing down an industrial trench. She heard over her helmet, "I'll take them myself. Cover me."

Her targeting computer indicated that she needed to take out the Rebel's right wingman. She squeezed the trigger, and the blaster fire hit the middle of the Y, exploding it instantly.

She pushed her throttle to full power as the remaining two Rebels attempted to flee them. She and her wingmen came in tight on the back of the remaining Rebel wingman. Rey squeezed the trigger again, and the Y-Wing exploded in a ball of fire that cooked her shields a bit. She quickly took out the last fighter, splintering it in two as it fell in pieces into the trench.

Rey, seeing no more opponents, followed her wingmen above the space station to hide on the dark side of it, waiting for more Rebels to head down the trench. Soon another trio of Rebels, this time in X-Wings, headed into the trench. Rey and her wingmen pursued at top speed, barely pulling up in time to line up behind the Rebels. Rey squeezed the trigger and took out the right Rebel wingman. A fireball erupted in her wingman's viewport. A few more seconds, and she had aligned her shot for the second Rebel wingman. He, too, became a fireball with just a squeeze of the trigger. She noticed that her shields kept dropping as she flew through the fireballs. They were now at fifty percent.

While she was flying through the fireball, the third Rebel shot proton torpedoes at the exhaust port and pulled up quickly above the space station. Rey turned her TIE to follow the X-Wing. It did not take very long before she was hot on his tail, taking her shot. The Rebel kept jinking left and right, making it harder for her shot. She reached out with the Force to anticipate the pilot's movements, synching her flying with his. She fired, and the shot took off a foil, sending him to the surface of the space station, ending in a burst of flame.

Rey pulled her ship up and returned to her hiding position on the dark side of the station, waiting for her prey to come into her trap. Before they even registered on her scopes, she pulled her craft up and yelled to her wingmen, "Follow me!"

The computer yelled back, "Don't blow our cover. They're not in position yet!"

Rey ignored the computer and shoved her TIE into full-throttle racing to the trench. She kept her position high and above the space station as the Rebel craft evaded the turbo laser canons fitted strategically throughout the trench.

The lead craft jinked quickly, knowing exactly where the next bolt would come. Rey kept her eye on the craft, wondering how he was doing it. She led her fighter group into the trench, almost on top of the Rebels. Her wingman fired, knocking the top right engine out of the left Rebel wingman. The Rebel pulled away out of the trench to safety.

Rey accelerated her fighter to top speed, pressuring the other Rebel wingman. This Rebel did not only jink back-and-forth, but he used the entire width of the trench, sliding from side-to-side. Rey used the Force to anticipate her shot and fired, taking out the fighter in another ball of flame. Her shields reduced to thirty percent as she passed through the fire.

The last Rebel fighter moved quickly through the trench, evading her fighter. Try as Rey could, she could not anticipate the movement with the Force. It was a constant battle, but she finally had a clear shot. The Rebel moved just in time, that she only fried his astromech droid. Rey yelled to the virtual droid, "Sorry, about that, little guy."

Rey heard over the headset that deep voice speak, "The Force is strong with this one."

Rey shook her head, wondering why she would be hearing anything about the Force over this recording. She calmed herself once more and reached out with the Force as the Rebel pilot zig-zagged back-and-forth in no particular pattern. As she was about to fire on the Rebel, she had a urging from the Force not to fire but to pull up. She pulled up out of position in the trench as her wingman was hit with fire from above, taking out the other wingman with him.

Rey deactivated the program, took her helmet off, and berated herself. "Stupid! I had him right there in my sights! I should have shot!" Ani appeared in front of the viewscreen and shook his head. "What?" asked Rey, angry.

"You don't know this program the way I do, Rey. There is no way to win this one," explained Ani.

"What do you mean? If I hadn't pulled up, I could have hit that pilot before he destroyed that space station," remarked Rey.

"No, if you hadn't pulled up, you would have been caught by that freighter that took out your wingmen. With your shields at twenty percent, he would have killed you," remarked Ani.

"I would have still gotten the Rebel first," boasted Rey.

"No, you would not. It is impossible to get that Rebel, Rey," admitted Ani.

"Nothing is impossible with the Force," replied Rey, throwing one of Ani's teaching mantras in his teeth.

"This one is. The Force wanted him to live, wanted us both to live," revealed Ani.

"Why?" asked Rey.

"Because my son had to live to save me," spoke Ani.


	17. Chapter 17--Relations

**Response to review left by Drika16:**

 **1) Ani was typing into a control terminal in this chapter. (Adding some words to make that entirely clear.)**

 **2) Rey does know Ani has the name of Vader, but she has no idea of its meaning. As she grows older, she starts questioning everything she's ever been told [typical teenager], so stay tuned for revelations in upcoming chapters.**

* * *

 **CHAPTER SEVENTEEN**

Rey pulled hard on her spanner against the last frozen bolt holding the X-Wing's one good engine to the frame. She grunted and strained, sweat running down her face. It had been two years since Rey had finished the TIE fighter simulations. In the last two years, Ani had opened up his personal simulations, allowing Rey to fly Rebel snub fighters, pod racers, and even a sleek Nubian yacht. Ani was reluctant to allow Rey access to the Nubian program, but he eventually gave into her pleading. He could not resist her smile.

But now that Rey had traded enough parts for rations to last a month, Ani had turned her attention to getting one of the X-Wings flying again. The one they had chosen had one good engine. Ani figured if they scavenged another engine from another craft, they could at least get it up in the air. It would never make it into space, but Rey would be able to fly it atmospherically. So, Rey continued with her spanner, wiping the sweat which dripped from her forehead.

She grunted and then hit the bolt with her spanner, yelling at it. Then Ani appeared. "Rey, don't get angry with it."

"Where have you been?!" asked Rey, upset.

"Here and there," answered Ani vaguely. That was the only answer he would ever give her. At first she thought he was looking around the graveyard when he was gone, but now she got the feeling he was in a different part of the galaxy.

"Arrgh!" Rey grunted as she tried to loosen the bolt, wishing she had some lubricant for it. She grabbed her left hand and put it in her mouth, trying to stop the bleeding. She grabbed the spanner again and with all of her anger pulled on it. She could feel the extra power her anger brought her.

"Not that way, Rey. Not with anger," pleaded Ani.

"Then you do it!" yelled Rey, walking a few feet away, glaring at the ghost.

"Rey," cajoled Ani. "What's wrong?"

"Everything! This stupid engine! Unkar cheating me on portions! His henchmen pawing over me! You disappearing all the time when I need you!" Then Rey broke down into tears.

"Hey," started Ani, moving to hug her.

"Don't touch me!" yelled Rey.

"Rey . . ." started Ani. "Show some respect."

"Why? I'm not even sure if you are my granddad anymore," argued Rey. She returned to the offending bolt. "All I have is your word on it. It's not like there's any proof."

"Is that what this is all about?" asked Ani, stunned. "I don't lie, Rey."

"But you won't tell me where you've been," accused Rey. "That's almost the same."

"No, it's not," spoke Ani. "You don't need to know everything I do. It doesn't concern you."

"If we're family, then it concerns me," fought Rey.

Ani thought about that for a moment, realizing she was being slightly illogical. "Family members don't share everything with each other, Rey."

"How would I know. I only have you, and what if you aren't really my granddad?" asked Rey, upset again.

"Well, you certainly have my temper," joked Ani with a half-smile.

"Ohhh!" yelled Rey, frustrated.

"Stop, Rey," commanded Ani with all of his authority.

"No!"

"Yes. Let's get this settled once and for all," replied Ani.

"How?"

"Let's see if my medical records are still in the Imperial archives. If so, the meddroid may be able to match our blood samples," explained Ani. "Let's go."

* * *

Once Rey had started up the power generator for the medbay and activated 12-1B, Ani commanded by typing into the data terminal, "Access medical records for Anakin Skywalker, General of the Republican Army."

"Accessing. One moment please," repeated 12-1B as it searched for the buried records. After six minutes, the droid responded, "These records are sealed. Enter access code."

Ani spoke, "Peth, aurek, dorn, mern, esk, aurek, nern, isk, one, four."

The droid displayed an holographic image of Ani when he was young. "Anakin Skywalker, male human, born 42 years before the Battle of Yavin, current age 71. Cybernetics include both arms and legs. Requires an advanced life-support suit or hyperbaric chamber due to lung scarring from volcanic gasses on Mustafar. Married to Senator Padmé Naberrie Amidala of Naboo." An image of Padmé appeared. Ani and Rey gasped together. Ani reached out to touch the holographic face. Rey looked into the mirror on the bulkhead above the handwashing sink, realizing she looked almost exactly like the holographic image. The droid continued, "Also known as—" The holographic image changed to Vader in his later incarnation.

"Twelve-One Bee, cancel hologram. Do you have access to blood sample for Anakin Skywalker?" asked Ani, speaking aloud for Rey and tapping into the communication panel for the droid, cutting off the droid's words.

The image dissipated. "Affirmative," spoke the droid.

"Is there a way to tell if Anakin Skywalker is related to another person?" continued Ani, tapping the data console.

"A blood sample would be required," spoke the droid.

"Rey, hold out your arm," commanded Ani.

"Will it hurt?" asked Rey.

"A little," answered Ani. Rey pulled her arm back. "You're the one who questioned my honesty." Rey held out her hand for the droid. After a small prick, the droid analyzed the blood sample.

"Affirmative. Ninety-nine percent probability that the subjects are related within two generations," spoke the droid.

"See?" chided Ani.

"But, if you were a Republican General, how did you end up serving the Empire?" asked Rey.

"I just did. Not your concern," replied Ani.

"Yes, it is! You're as bad as Unkar—keeping me from information about my family!"

"Rey, I don—"

The medical droid interrupted, "Analyzing. Subject has not been assigned an identity. Previous records indicate radiation sickness two years ago." The droid ran its scanners over Rey—just making her more angry.

"Stop that!" ordered Rey.

"Negative. Exam in progress," stated the droid. "Human female, approximately 13 years of age. Current diagnosis: pre-menstrual syndrome."

Ani smiled and then blushed. At least the anger was explained, but now he had other problems to worry about. After tapping in a new command, Ani informed, "Rey, Twelve-One Bee is going to explain some things to you. I want you to pay close attention. I'll be back soon."

"Where are you going?" asked Rey.

"To find some supplies for you," spoke then mentioned, "Just call me if you need me, but I think you'd rather do this module alone. Trust me."

The droid started another hologram, this time an image of a human female and her reproductive organs. Ani vanished, hoping he could find what he needed on board the _Ravager_ or steal it from Unkar's.


	18. Chapter 18--Lift-Off

**CHAPTER EIGHTEEN**

The next morning Rey woke up late, utterly exhausted. She took the speeder out to the X-Wing she was working on, with a can of lubricant in hand for that frozen bolt. The sun was already high in the sky, and the sweat was dripping from her face as she sped across the dunes.

After an hour of travelling, she pulled the speeder over to the snub fighter. She opened the access hatch and sprayed lubricant on the bolt. After waiting a minute for the oil to work, she turned her spanner on it. While not entirely smooth, the bolt did move. After a minute, she was able to remove the bolt entirely.

Rey twisted the bolt, washer, and nut back together and shoved them in her bag. She left the bag hanging on the seat of the speeder before returning to the engine.

Rey braced her legs in the sand, spread far apart for balance and leverage. She grabbed the engine lip with her hands, the hot metal warming her skin. Tugging, the engine moved a few centimeters. Rey removed her hands, shaking them in the air to cool them off. A few minutes later, she started the process again.

After an hour, the sun was at its zenith, and the engine was only half-way out. Rey's skin had turned pink from the sun. Her back ached, her fingers and palms burned from the hot metal of the engine, and she was hungry.

Rey placed her palms on the hull of the engine near the junction of the craft. The metal there was not nearly as hot as the lip. Rey hugged the engine with her bare arms, biting back the pain from the hot metal. She tugged on it until it fell to the sand in front of her.

Unable to handle the pain of the metal anymore, she let go of her hug on the engine and looked at her arms. The skin burned and blistered before her eyes. She grabbed the bacta tube out of her bag and slathered it on her burns. "That was stupid, Rey," she told herself as she thought about how she was going to get the engine back to the other X-Wing two kilometers away. It was too big to fit in the storage net on the speeder. If she dragged it across the sand, she would have to clean all of the sand out of it before installing it in the other craft.

Rey decided to strap it to the hood of the speeder. After wrapping tension straps around the engine, Rey climbed on top of the hood and pulled. The engine would not budge a centimeter. She pulled again, lost her balance, and ended up falling to the sand.

Dusting the sand off, Rey stood and walked around the speeder to the engine. She climbed back on top and closed her eyes. She stretched her hand in front of her and felt around her with the Force. As she moved her hand up, the engine rose slightly. Shocked, she opened her eyes, only to see the engine fall back to the sand, spraying grains of sand into her eyes.

Rey growled and set about it again, with the same results. She just wanted to go back to her walker and forget all of this, but she knew the engine would be gone tomorrow if she left it here by itself today.

As she was about to try again, Ani appeared in front of her. "Where have you been?!" Rey growled.

Ani raised his eyebrows and responded, "Here and there."

"Well, I could use your help," stated Rey, frustrated.

"No," stated Ani.

"What?"

"No, you are capable of doing this on your own, Rey," remarked Ani. "I will not help you when you can do it yourself. As a wise master used to tell me all the time: Do or do not. There is no try. Now, again. Become one with the Force."

"It's too big, Granddad," whined Rey.

"Stop that. No whining. It's not too big. Size does not matter. The Force surrounds it and penetrates it. No matter how big, the Force is adequate. When you are at peace, the Force will respond. Now, again," insisted Ani.

Rey closed her eyes and started her relaxation technique as Ani had taught her. When she was at peace, she moved her hand. Keeping her eyes closed, she visualized it moving in her head, felt it moving through the Force. Every time a surge of excitement threatened to run through her, she calmed herself and continued the exercise. The engine continued to rise until it was resting on top of the hood of the speeder. Rey opened her eyes in disbelief. "I did it! I can't believe I did it!"

"Belief is the first step, Rey! You must believe!" corrected Ani. "Remember the pod racer simulator? Flying pods requires Jedi reflexes and minute adjustments through levitation at extreme speeds. I want you practicing your levitation daily, until it becomes second-nature to you. Now, tighten that engine down and let's go do something about those burns on your arms and your sunburn."

* * *

Later that evening after the sun had set and the two moons of Jakku had risen, Rey headed out on her speeder to the new X-Wing. Ani had found some fabric somewhere, long strips of unbleached muslin. He had Rey wrap them around her arms as sleeves to protect her from additional burns. For additional fine-levitation practice, Ani made Rey sew the wrapped linen together into layers that she could pull on and off her arms at will.

The two moons of Jakku were both full, shining enough light on the desert that a glow lamp was not required. Only once every four months were the moons full together, as they had separate rotational axes and velocities as they orbited the planet. When she reached the X-Wing, she unfastened the engine on top of the speeder and started to take it down with her arms.

Ani appeared and stated, "Not that way. You're going to hurt yourself. Use the Force."

Rey stopped struggling with the engine and stepped away. After sewing with the Force all day, she was able to become at peace quickly. She lifted her hand, noticing the difference between moving a small needle in precise movements and lifting a very heavy engine in a bold motion. She moved her hand to flip the engine into the right attitude and slid it home in its port, the top left engine slot which stood empty, its non-operational engine lying sideways on the sand beyond the X-Wing.

"Good. See, not that hard when you get the hang of it," approved Ani. "Now, time to connect the engine. Get the access hatch open, and don't short circuit the thing."

"Yes, Granddad," replied Rey with a smile. The connections were simple, at least to Rey they seemed so: positive power here, negative power cable here, fuel intake hose here, computer feed here.

Rey grabbed her flight helmet from the storage net on the speeder and popped the canopy. This was a different canopy than the original, which also lay in the sand away from the craft. The original canopy had been punctured by laser fire, killing the pilot. Rey had swapped the canopy out a few weeks before. The most difficult challenge was lining up the pressure seal so that the craft could maintain life-support systems once she was in the air.

"Wait!" ordered Ani. "Aren't you forgetting something?"

Rey looked at him, questioning. "The engine should work fine."

"No, you haven't pre-checked. Also, move your speeder away from the thruster burn zone," instructed Ani.

Rey dropped her helmet in the cockpit before moving the speeder away. She left her staff and carry sack in the cargo net and returned to the X-Wing. The underbelly of the craft was buried in sand, but Rey performed the pre-flight inspection as Ani had shown on everything above the sand level.

Then she climbed in her cockpit, put on the helmet, and activated the engines. As the two working engines sputtered to life, she checked each system and the display panel. She fastened herself into the pilot's seat, shut her canopy, and grabbed the joystick, fitting her feet into the pedals. Taking a deep breath, Rey activated her repulsor lifts, taking the small craft up, spilling sand everywhere in its wake. Slowly, the belly of the craft cleared the sand, and then the landing claws lifted, draining the sand. As soon as Rey was five meters above the dune, she retracted her landing claws. The gears ground as the feet moved into the fuselage. Rey made a mental note to lubricate those mechanisms later.

But right now, she was in the air! She was piloting a real aircraft in the air! By herself. All systems checked out as operational. Ani asked, "Are you ready?" Rey nodded. "Then let's go!"

Rey pulled on the joystick and opened the throttle fully. Flying the X-Wing was familiar because of her simulator use, but different. There was a thrill as she felt the pull of gravity while she climbed high in the atmosphere, chasing the moons across the sky. Her hair was full of electricity as she dove down to less than a hundred meters above the surface. She pulled the X-Wing down further, skimming the surface of the sand, barely three meters above, spreading sand everywhere as she blew past. She screamed to herself, "Wheeee! Wow!"

Ani chuckled as he remembered the exhilaration of flying like this, missing his days of pod racing, even the days of flying during the Clone Wars.

She flew for over an hour, until she knew that the scavengers had left the graveyard for the day. Then she took the craft into the graveyard, pulling as close as possible to the _Ravager_ flying around it, feeling the wind pull her up-and-down and side-to-side. She fought with the controls, trying to keep from being bashed into the fuselage of the super star destroyer.

"Use the Force, Rey," reminded Ani. "Unlike the simulator, you can use it to feel around you, even manipulate the craft."

Rey concentrated and became at peace, letting go of her excitement for a moment to let the Force flow through her. She climbed into a pitchback and then followed it with a barrel roll across the graveyard, zooming around the TIEs and snubs half-buried in the sand. She climbed high toward the moons and looped up and behind. Then she worked a reverse loop, diving low and pulling up behind a pretend attacker.

Ani then put her through a grueling workout, programming fake bogeys into her flight computer. Rey continued her flight for many hours, exhilarated.

When Ani finally let her quit, morning twilight was upon them. "Land this thing and get some rest. We'll fly again tomorrow night."

"Where are you going, Granddad?"

Ani answered his standard response, "Here and there."

"Granddad, please tell me," she begged. "I'm not landing until you tell me."

"You're almost asleep, Rey. You can barely keep your eyes open. Land before you crash," ordered Ani.

"No. And what's to stop me from leaving Jakku now?" threatened Rey.

"You don't have enough thrust with only two engines to escape Jakku's gravity," spoke Ani. "Now land."

"Tell me first, where are you going?" asked Rey, stubbornly.

"No."

"Yes. Stop being so stubborn. It's not like I'm a child anymore."

"I'm stubborn? Look here, Rey—" started Ani before he started laughing. "You're just like your mother! Or maybe your father! Or both!"

"You knew my father?" asked Rey, truly interested. She had a vague memory of a hologram she once saw, filled with static. She remembered a droid saying it was her father.

"Know him, yes," revealed Ani with regret. He hoped that Rey never learned what he had done to her family so many years ago. "Now, land the craft. I want to go check on some things, but I want to make sure you're safe. And there should be a camouflage net in the cargo bay of the craft. Cover the X-Wing with it, and disconnect the engines before you leave, so no one flies off with it."

"Yes, Granddad," replied Rey as she brought the X-Wing in close to her speeder. "Tell me about my father." But he was gone.


	19. Chapter 19--The Falcon

**CHAPTER NINETEEN**

Rey sat at the scrubbing table once again, working away at the parts she had scavenged the last few days. Unkar was mysteriously gone today, but the villagers at the outpost said he would be back sometime today. So, Rey, waited, and scrubbed, and waited some more. She needed the rations, and she was berating herself for letting her supply get so low. She figured Ani could always steal some food from Unkar's for her, but she only wanted him to do that in a real emergency. It was not as if she had not missed a meal or two before in the last nine years since she had arrived on this wasteland.

A little alien with a breathing apparatus poked her to stop daydreaming and get on with her cleaning. Rey looked around, seeing no other scavengers waiting. She returned to her work, waiting for Unkar to return.

As she scrubbed at the fine dust in the groove of a pump, sand blew everywhere as a squashed spherical ship landed about a hundred meters away from the outpost. In the last eight years, Rey had never seen this ship before. However, some of the older villagers knew it. One yelled, "I don't believe he did it! The _Falcon_! He actually stole the _Millennium Falcon!_ "

Rey started with a jolt when she heard that name. She remembered her Wookiee friends telling about this ship, about the Mighty Chewbacca and his co-pilot Han Solo. But how had Unkar gotten ahold of it? And why did the villagers recognize this ship? Had it been here before?

As the entry ramp lowered, Unkar spoke to one of his henchman, "The Irving Boys never knew what hit them. Finally, the _Millennium Falcon_. I don't know what I enjoy more—the fact that I swindled the Irving Boys or that I finally have repaid Solo for that laser blast his pet Wookiee gave me twenty-five years ago." Unkar chuckled a hearty laugh as he walked across the hot sands of Jakku. "Tie her down and camouflage her, boys. We don't want anyone finding this ship."

Unkar strode to his shop and opened up the metal window. Rey pulled her sled of parts to the window and started handing them to Unkar. "Hmm, one quarter portion. Two portions for this—you said it works?"

"Yes, but it's worth five portions," bartered Rey, looking carefully to her left and right, staff in her left hand ready to beat away any attacker. "I tested it on the _Ravager_. It's still fully operational."

"Three portions, and that's final," bargained Unkar. Rey sullenly agreed as he looked at the rest of her pieces. Rey left the shed with eight portions—almost two weeks' worth of food if she were careful with it and stretched it.

As she walked back to her speeder, her eyes were drawn to the _Millennium Falcon_. As she watched the camouflage netting being draped over the hull, Rey found herself transported into the cockpit, flying the craft across the desert. She shook her head to clear the vision, scared. It was so real. She would have to ask her granddad about it next time he appeared.

* * *

That night, Ani woke her from her deep sleep in the middle of the night. "Rey, wake up! Wake up!"

Rey jolted awake and asked, "What's wrong?"

"Nothing. But we have a ship to check out. Come with me," instructed Ani.

Rey grabbed her bag of tools and her staff and hopped on her speeder. She fired it up and headed toward the _Ravager_. Ani spoke in her head, _Wrong way_. _Go back to Niima Outpost._

* * *

Rey spun the speeder around in the opposite direction. There was only one ship at the outpost, the _Falcon_. Rey pulled her speeder up to it, not seeing any guards. The ramp was still down, so Rey just walked up the ramp. The cabin lights automatically turned on, probably set off by a motion detector. She stopped inside the hatch and absorbed it all.

In front of her a spiral passageway transversed the ship. To the left she saw cargo holds. She turned to the right and came to another passageway a few steps down. This one led to the cockpit. Rey stepped into the cockpit with reverence, feeling a pang of sorrow for the Wookiee who had lost this lady.

Rey ran her hand across the control panel. Most of the switches were not labeled, but she could guess what some of them were due to their placement. Deflector shields in the co-pilot's area, comm station behind the pilot, thrusters, throttle, hyperdrive, navacomputer, grav boosters. Rey leaned her staff against a panel and climbed into the pilot's seat.

Ani appeared again, watching his granddaughter get to know her ship. The awe and wonder on her face bespoke the connection she felt through the Force to the ship. "The _Millennium Falcon_. One part freighter, one part hot-rod, and a double-part of illegal systems all jumbled into the fastest ship in the galaxy."

"Have you ever flown her?" asked Rey, pretending she was taking off.

"No, not flown. But it was in my custody twice," revealed Ani. "I want you to check it out, Rey. Everything, from the power couplings, to the thrusters, to the illegal engines, to the pesky hyperdrive that doesn't like talking to the navacomputer."

Rey spent the next three hours climbing in and out of the service panels, inspecting the craft. "It's a piece of junk, Granddad. You can't possibly expect this thing to even lift off."

"You are mistaken. She may need a few repairs before you escape, but this is your ship. Unkar is highly mistaken if he thinks differently," indicated Ani.

"I could never fly this on my own. It needs a co-pilot," argued Rey. "And how would I get it untethered without Unkar knowing? And where would I go?"

"Settle down. You're not going anywhere tonight. Let's see what we can do with the fuel hose that's leaking all over the engine compartment," mentioned Ani.

Rey looked throughout the hold for any type of binding tape, but she found none. "Check that storage compartment over there."

Rey climbed out of the engine compartment and opened the locker Ani had indicated. She was startled to find a yellow astromech droid stored there, deactivated. "Ohh, who are you, little guy?"

She reached on the back of his head cylinder and powered him up. The top cylinder spun around, and the droid spat out a stream of binary. "Slow down, slow down, Artoo," remarked Rey. The binary came out again, a little slower. "Sorry, Ar-seven Dee-Eight. Nice to meet you."

The droid thrust out its treads and rolled toward the panels behind her, removing the cover and scanning the system. "Well, I can see your busy, but could you tell me where they keep the binding tape around here?"

The droid beeped some more. "Really? In the galley?" Rey hurried through the spiral passageway to the passenger lounge and galley. She found the tape sitting on the counter.

* * *

When she returned, she asked, "What are you working on?" After a stream of binary, she replied, "The hyperdrive? Yeah, I've been warned about that." Rey climbed back into the pit, wiped the excess fluid off the leaking hose, and sealed it with the binding tape. What she really wanted to do was fire up the engines and check out the system as they were running, but that was not going to happen tonight.

She climbed out of the pit and told the droid, "Guess it's time for you to go back in the closet, Ar-seven. Come on, no one's going to be flying this thing anytime soon," remarked Rey.

As Ar-seven rolled across the deck to his storage cabinet, he beeped a question.

"My name?" Rey asked. The last person who had asked her name was Ani, and that was almost ten years ago. "I'm Rey." A few more beeps were heard as he rolled into the closet. "Just Rey." She shut him down and closed the cabinet.

"Granddad!" called Rey. "Granddad." When he appeared, she scolded, "Stop disappearing on me like that."

"I was just checking out the ship," Ani explained.

"You said that you had this ship in custody twice," started Rey.

"Yes," acknowledged Ani. "Most recently on Bespin at Cloud City."

"Good. You didn't happen to take any specifications on it while you had her, did you? You know, information on the systems?" asked Rey.

"They might be in my personal files on the _Ravager_ 's computers. If nothing else, we can look up the manuals on each of the individual systems," mentioned Ani. "The hard part will be figuring out why things don't work. None of this was every supposed to be put into the same ship. I'm not even sure how half of this works. That smuggler may have thought he knew what he was doing, but this could just be a ticking bomb."

"And you want me to escape in this thing? Granddad?!"

"Trust me, Rey. The Force brought the ship here. This is your ship. You have every right to it," remarked Ani.

"I'm stealing a ship, and you say I have the right to take it? You're not making sense, Granddad," complained Rey, confused.

"Oh, I am. You own this ship, Rey. Remember that. You own this ship," revealed Ani. "We have a few hours before dawn. Let's go see what manuals are available on board the _Ravager_."


	20. Chapter 20--Revelations

**CHAPTER TWENTY**

Rey stared at a holographic projection of the _Millennium Falcon_ spinning in front of her while the computer read off the specifications: "The _Millennium Falcon_. Corellian YT-1300 modified freighter. Owner: Han Solo, 1.8 meters tall, born approximately 29 years before the Battle of Yavin, Corellian, Wanted by the Galactic Empire for desertion, smuggling, treason, illegally modified ship, aiding the destruction of both Death Stars, member of the Rebel Alliance.

"The _Millennium Falcon_ is grey in color with red primer randomly applied on the hull. Modifications include a Class 2.0 primary hyperdrive system with a maximum warp of 0.5 past lightspeed, twice as fast as Imperial starships; a questionable back-up Class 12 hyperdrive system, with a maximum warp of 1.0 lightspeed; duralloy plating covers most of the hull; three different shield generators: advanced Kuat Drive Yards, Novaldex, and Nordoxicon shield generators; high-grade sensor suites tied into the illegal sensor dish; illegal sensor jammers; most ship functions are funneled through a modified Hanx-Wargel SuperFlow IV computer with three droid brains.

"Armament includes a hidden laser cannon near the loading ramp; a pair of dorsally and ventrally mounted Corellian Engineering Corporation AG-2G quad laser cannons, drawing power from her Quadex power core—modified with enhanced powercyclers, high-volume gas feedbacks, and custom laser actuators. The ship also boasts a pair of illegal Arakyd ST2 Concussion missile launchers mounted between the forward mandibles.

"Length: 34.75 m; Cargo capacity: 25 metric tons; Crew: minimum a pilot and co-pilot; maximum sublight speed: 800 kph.

"Warning to all Imperial personnel: This ship is armed and dangerous. Owner has repeatedly escaped Imperial capture, leaving in his wake many Imperial deaths. Recommended strategy is to disable the hyperdrive, which is portside aft. Once the tractor beam brings in the ship, approach with caution. It is suspected that there are hidden compartments, providing her passengers a way to escape.

"Imperial history: _The Millennium Falcon_ was first noted for blasting its way out of Mos Eisley on Tatooine in the Outer Rim a day before the Battle of Yavin. It was then captured by the Death Star I in the Alderaanian asteroid field. With the help of a Jedi outlaw, Captain Solo escaped with the _Falcon_ and was later an accomplice in the destruction of the Death Star the following day.

"Numerous encou—

Ani shut down the hologram. "Hey, I wasn't done watching that!" argued Rey.

"You are for now," mentioned Ani as he pulled a specification manual on the primary hyperdrive. "Read this. No, better yet, memorize this manual," ordered Ani. "That hyperdrive is a touchy device."

Rey sat down at the terminal in the power room and started her studies once again. She only finished reading the introduction to the hyperdrive, trying to wrap her brain around the functions of the device before the sun started to appear on the horizon. She shut down the computer and power generator before heading home to sleep. She would be back the next evening to continue her studies.

* * *

A few weeks later found Rey prowling around the _Falcon_ again. The hyperdrive was taken apart, but Ar-Seven was nowhere to be found. The access panel above the co-pilot's head was removed and wires hung down, attached to "A compressor! He's installed a compressor on this hyperdrive? It's going to put too much stress on it!" complained Rey to the air, not knowing if Ani was around or not.

She looked around the cockpit some more. It looked like Unkar was making some other changes near the pilot's console, too—fuel pump by the look of it. She moved to the hyperdrive access cabinet in the aft of the ship and pulled her tools out. If she could just patch in a transformer between it and the navacomputer, she could get them talking to each other again.

After an hour of soldering connections, she returned to the cockpit and fired up the hyperdrive and the navacomputer. She left the sublight engines off to avoid discovery. Once the navacomputer came up, she pulled up the coordinates for the jump before Jakku. It was to a place called Arbooine, wherever that was. She had never heard of it before—wait, something sounded familiar about that place. She concentrated, trying to reach for the memories that so many times fled away from her consciousness. It was like someone was keeping her from remembering much about the time before Jakku.

Frustrated, she headed back to the hyperdrive. She pulled up the scanner and ran it over the circuits. The system hummed pleasantly, but a squeal was growing. "Probably that stupid compressor." Pleased that the navacomputer and hyperdrive were talking again, she hurried to the cockpit and shut them both down before the compressor strained the hyperdrive beyond repair.

She poked around some more in the ship, checking out the crew's quarters, looking in the shipping crates in the three holds. Nothing really interesting. The ship was nothing too exciting—shabby interior, worn exterior. It was a wonder it could even fly.

Rey returned to the cockpit and sat down in the pilot's chair. Recalling the start-up sequence from the manuals Ani had retrieved from computer memory on the _Ravager_ , Rey flicked the switches in the right order. The engines whined, as if trying to connect. Then they shut down again, sputtering dead. She tried the sequence again. Nothing.

Rey looked again at the console, noticing the fuel pump. "I can't believe he put a fuel pump on this thing! What was he thinking?! When I steal this ship, first thing going is that compressor and then this fuel pump!"

Rey primed the pump and then started her up again. The _Falcon_ shook to life as the sublight engines fired up. The sound was deafening. Rey hoped no one was close enough to hear it. Sounds carried far distances in the desert of Jakku at night.

Rey returned to the engine compartment and watched as the belts and hoses performed. One of the levers was sticking, and one of the belts was about to break off. She would need to replace that soon.

Rey hopped back out of the pit and raced to the cockpit to shut it down before the belt broke. "Now, where am I going to find a belt like this one on Jakku?" she wondered. "Time to check out the manuals back at the _Ravager_ , I guess. Maybe there'll be one down in engineering stores."

* * *

When Rey returned to the _Ravager_ an hour later, she powered up the ship, lights and life-support. She tapped into the computer console in the power room. Once she entered Ani's security codes, she was able to bring up the search engine. She entered _Millennium Falcon_ into the box and waited for the results to come up.

A variety of choices appeared on the screen. She skipped over the general entry at the top, which she had already read thoroughly. She wanted to know about that particular belt, so she methodically started on each link.

She clicked on the link that said, " _Millennium Falcon_ captured on the Death Star." A video image appeared of the ship sitting in the midst of a humongous hanger, all polished in black. The distorted video showed four people and two droids running toward its hatch while sparks hit the image from somewhere off-screen. The people were hard to make out, but she could tell that one was a Wookiee—the Mighty Chewbacca probably. Which means one of the others was Han Solo. But who were the rest? And why did she feel she knew both of those droids? There were thousands of protocol droids, weren't there? Not to mention thousands of Artoo units . . .

Rey moved the cursor to the side of the screen. A menu popped up as the video froze. Each person in the video was identified with a tag: Han Solo; Chewbacca; Luke Skywalker; Princess Leia Organa, Senator of Alderaan. Neither of the droids had tags. Rey held her breath as she clicked on Princess Leia Organa.

Another menu popped up, showing an image of her face and listing the crimes she was held for: treason. Rey gasped. Tears filled her eyes. She knew this face, older now with a different hairstyle, grey streaked through it, a few wrinkles around the eyes now, but she knew she was looking at her mother.

She clicked on the first video link. A chamber in black with white lighting from cutouts appeared. An elderly gentleman in a dark grey uniform stood on the left. An image out of her own nightmare stood to the right—a tall man, masked and armored in black with a black cape—holding onto her mother, who was dressed in a white gown with buns on either side of her head.

The audio was distorted, but she could hear what transpired.

Her mother spoke, "Governor Tarkin, I should have expected to find you holding Vader's leash." Rey paused the recording, not believing she was hearing her mother's voice for the first time in almost ten years. And who was Vader? Wasn't that Ani's other name? But Ani couldn't be this . . . thing. Rey pressed play again. "I recognized your foul stench when I was brought on board."

Governor Tarkin grabbed her mother by the cheek and responded, "Charming to the last. You don't know how hard I found it, signing the order to terminate your life."

Her mother retorted, "I'm surprised you had the courage to take the responsibility yourself."

Tarkin continued, "Princess Leia—"

Rey stopped the recording again. Her mother was a princess? A princess? Weren't princesses only parts of the fairy tales Ani had told her when she was little? Rey pressed play again. "Before your execution, I would like you to be my guest at a ceremony that will make this battle station operational. No star system would dare oppose the Emperor now."

Her mother interjected, "The more you tighten your grip, Tarkin, the more star systems will slip through your fingers."

"Not after we demonstrate the power of this station. In a way, you have determined the choice of the planet that will be destroyed first. Since you are reluctant to provide us with the location of the Rebel base, I have chosen to test this station's destructive power on your home planet of Alderaan."

Her mother pleaded, "No, no, Alderaan is peaceful. We have no weapons. You can't possibly—"

Tarkin turned on her, "You would prefer another target, a military target? Then name the system!" He advanced on her mother, pushing her into the black creature behind her. "I grow tired of asking this, so it will be the last time. Where is the Rebel base?"

Leia looked at the screen which displayed her home planet and then back to Tarkin before revealing, "Dantooine. They're on Dantooine."

"See, Lord Vader, she can be reasonable. Continue with the operation. You may fire when ready," ordered Tarkin.

"What?!" yelled Leia.

"You're far too trusting. Dantooine is too remote to make an effective demonstration, but don't worry, we will deal with your Rebel friends soon enough."

Leia pushed toward Tarkin, moaning, "No."

The figure in the mask pulled her back to him, left hand on her shoulder, holding her so tightly he left a bruise.

Rey stopped the recording and yelled, "Granddad!" Ani appeared, head hung low, knowing what she had seen. "How could you?! That was my mother! Your daughter! How could you?! You monster!" yelled Rey.

"I'm sorry. I had no idea who she was at the time, Rey," explained Ani.

"That you would do this to anyone—Are you just waiting for when you can betray me, too? Was all this time of getting close to me so you could sell me back to Unkar or something?" asked Rey.

"No, never. You're my chance to do this right. I was a different person back then, Rey. I didn't even know she was my daughter. Had I known, I would have changed then and there. I would have," spoke Ani.

"I thought you said I would know who my family was with the Force. Why didn't you know?" asked Rey.

"The dark side of the Force clouds many things, Rey. It clouds the truth. It clouds love. It clouds all that is good in this world," explained Ani. "Until the day that I died, I didn't even know that Padmé had twins. I wish I could go back in time and do this so differently, Rey."

"Well, we don't get to go back in time. Life doesn't work that way. We have to live with our choices and the choices of others, whether we like them or not," remarked Rey, bitterly. A quiet moment passed between them again. "Now I know why mother won't call you. Go away. Go away, Granddad. Don't come back. Ever."

"I've changed, Rey. Don't send me away. I've changed," begged Ani as his presence began to fade.

"Go away!" yelled Rey and threw a spanner through his image as it disappeared. Rey turned back to the image of her mother, being held in place by her granddad, fear and horror passing across her face as her planet exploded. Rey paused the video and held her hand out to her mother, wishing she could touch her, wondering what she was doing at this moment, wondering if her mother knew what she was going through right now. Tears fell on the console—tears for her mother and also her granddad.


	21. Chapter 21--My Father

**CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE**

From dusk until an hour before dawn, Rey scavenged the _Ravager_. Then she prowled the records again, looking for more information on her mother. Now that she had seen her again, her heart burned for her. She continued to ask how could her mother leave her here.

Over the last few days Rey had watched the links related to her mother's capture, torture, and escape on the Death Star. Today Rey continued with the next link on the selection menu for her mother, a place called Cloud City.

A dark industrial facility appeared in the view screen. A tall man with dark hair spoke to a shorter man in a blue cape, "What's going on, buddy?" Rey could tell that the tall man's wrists were bound with binders. A Wookiee with a protocol droid strapped to his back stood behind and to the man's right. She remembered from the other videos that this man was named Han Solo. Her mother stood beside the Wookiee, dressed in a white suit, her hair intricately braided. She looked so sad.

The man in the blue cloak answered, "You're being put into carbon freeze."

A man in green armor approached her granddad—no, that creature was not her granddad, she thought—approached Darth Vader and asked, "What if he doesn't survive? He's worth a lot to me."

Vader responded, "The Empire will compensate you if he dies." He gestured with his hand. "Put him in."

The Wookiee roared, sending two soldiers off the ledge. The protocol droid whined something, as the man in the green armor raised his blaster. Vader moved the blaster down with his arm, preventing the bounty hunter from firing. Rey stopped the video and called out, "Granddad! Granddad!"

Ani appeared but did not say anything. His face was solid.

"Why did you stop the bounty hunter from firing? Did you know?" asked Rey.

Ani spoke, "No, I didn't know she was my daughter, Rey. I needed the rest of them alive. I wish you wouldn't watch this. You're not going to like it."

Rey glared at him obstinately and started the video again. The Wookiee continued to throw soliders off the ledge and roar. Solo walked over to the Wookiee and told him, "Stop! Chewie, stop! Hey! Hey! Listen to me! Chewie! Chewie! This won't help me! Save your strength! There'll be another time! The princess. You have to take care of her." Her mother approached the Wookiee and took him by the arm. "You hear me? Hunh?"

The Wookiee responded, "Yes, but I'm not happy about it."

Her mother looked at Han. The look she gave him was full of emotion—love, fear. Rey stopped the video, watching her mother's heart break. Rey cried, tears pouring down her face, "How could you, Granddad?! How could you?! I don't understand how you could be so cruel!"

She hit play again, watching her mother and the smuggler kiss until two soldiers pulled them apart and led Solo to the carbon freeze platform. As Solo stood bravely on the platform waiting for the machine to activate, her mother yelled, "I love you."

Solo answered back, "I know." Two small creatures adjusted something on Solo and left as the platform descended. The Wookiee roared in mourning as his friend descended. Rey stopped the video.

"Granddad, how could you tear two people apart like that?!" asked Rey. "You tell me you loved my grandmother, so how could you do this to anyone?"

"It was necessary at the time," slowly responded Ani.

"This should have never been necessary. You don't do this to people!" argued Rey.

"The dark side clouds everything, Rey. Remember that. When held by the dark side, what seems right is usually wrong," spoke Ani.

Rey turned back to the screen and watched the rest of the footage as it cut back and forth, following her mother through the corridors of Cloud City. Rey found a tenacity in her mother that she admired. While in the deepest of her own sorrow, she escaped, in the _Falcon—_ his ship—my ship, according to granddad. "Granddad, is Han Solo my father?"

"Yes."

"Does he know where I am?" asked Rey.

"He doesn't know you exist, Rey," informed Ani. "I'm not the only one to make poor choices in our family." Rey pondered that statement. _Was her granddad talking about her mother, her father, or both, or someone else altogether?_


	22. Chapter 22--Salvage Crews

**CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO**

A few days later as Rey was closing up her salvage of pieces from the _Ravager_ early one morning, she was greeted by the sound of multiple ships landing around the _Ravager_. Rey exited the _Ravager_ to see no fewer than a half-dozen ships land. Unkar strolled down the ramp of one of the ships, speaking, "The decking, for the most part, is all in excellent condition. For fifty percent of your profits, I will allow you to salvage the decks in full."

The alien Unkar was speaking to had two tusks that curved down in front of his face. "We do all the work and you get half the profit? Ha! I think you are mistaken. What's to prevent us from taking all of the profit?"

At that point the regular scavengers began to appear around the craft, each bearing rifles and blasters. "They will," indicated Unkar. "Now, if you will follow me."

Rey looked on, concerned. She knew there were not a lot of smaller pieces of equipment to salvage off this ship, but if they were going to take the decks, then the flight simulators would go, the console in the power room, and the power generators, she was sure. There was so much more she wanted to know, and she did not want to lose the videos of her mother and her father. They were all she had left of her family.

Rey shoved her salvage into her cargo net on her speeder and raced back inside the _Ravager_ to the power room. She could hear about a hundred new salvagers converging on the craft, as well as the fifty regular salvagers. Today would be quite the party in here. Rey fired up the power generators and turned on the computer console. There would not be much left of this ship by the end of the week.

She quickly entered the video recordings and watched every single one of her mother again, trying to ingrain the images into her mind. She thought back to what her granddad had told her as she watched the video of Alderaan's destruction: "Until the day that I died, I didn't even know that Padmé had _twins_."

Something burned within her as she remembered that revelation. _Did she have an aunt or an uncle? Did that mean granddad knew he had another child before he died? Why didn't he tell me?_

Since Rey had sent him away, Ani had only returned the one time she had called him to question him about Cloud City. Rey knew he was lurking, watching her still, but he did not come unless called. Rey still could not wrap her mind around all that he had done to her parents—how could he have done that to anyone?

After Rey had exhausted every video about her mom and dad, she sat back, wondering if she should watch anything more. The only links she had not followed were those for a "Luke Skywalker." She was tired, wanted to go back to her walker and sleep. But something—maybe it was the Force—impressed upon her to watch those vids.

Rey stretched forth her hand and pressed the button for the first link. A picture of a young man with a beautiful, if cocky, smile, dark blonde hair, piercing blue eyes filled with compassion stared back at her. His chin was clefted, just like Ani's. The smile and the eyes reminded her of Ani as well, but the cheeks were different.

"Luke Skywalker: 1.72 meters tall, dark blonde hair, blue eyes, Jedi Knight, wanted for destruction of the Death Star. Wing Commander of the Rebel Alliance, X-Wing corps. Call signs: Red-5, Rogue Leader. Armed and dangerous. Carries an illegal lightsaber. Known to frequent the company of Princess Leia Organa and Captain Han Solo. Approach with caution. Do not kill! Capture and bring directly to Lord Vader upon contact."

Rey skipped the first few video links that were duplicates of her mother's and father's. She then found a link for Cloud City. She knew she had never seen this man in her parent's videos for Cloud City, so she started with this one.

The video began again in the carbon freezing chamber. The man was lifted up from beneath on a device. Vader's voice echoed, startling the man, "The Force is with you, Young Skywalker, but you are not a Jedi yet."

Skywalker climbed the steps to the platform Vader stood upon, stared him in the eyes for a few moments in challenge, and then drew an energy sword. It held a blue blade and hummed with electricity. Vader drew a red sword, and they crossed their blades, waiting for the first move. Skywalker rotated his blade in an attack, but Vader blocked it easily with one hand.

Skywalker attacked again, but Vader blocked again, pushing him off with pure strength alone, one handed. Skywalker fell to the ground, barely holding his weapon in defense. He stood carefully and advanced one step on Vader. Vader stepped back once, and then again as Skywalker advanced again, threatening.

Skywalker attacked with a swivel above his head. Vader blocked and blocked and then parried. Vader attacked; Skywalker blocked. Skywalker spun in a defensive move, removing his body from the path of Vader's blade, and returning his own blade to block another strike. The battle continued, both of them evenly matched in swordsmanship.

After a few minutes of fighting, Vader acknowledged, "You have learned much, Young One."

Skywalker replied, "You'll find I'm full of surprises."

Vader then disarmed the young man, sending the man to the floor and the saber flying. Rey paused the video, wondering, _Have they met before in sword battle? I didn't see a video on that._ She put that question in the back of her mind to ask Ani one day, but she needed to see the rest of this battle, before the power generators were salvaged.

Vader struck at the man on the floor, and Skywalker rolled down the stairs. Vader jumped down the stairs, but Skywalker moved out of the way before the heavy man landed on him. Vader spoke, "Your destiny lies with me, Skywalker. Obi-Wan knew this to be true."

Skywalker denied quietly, "No."

Vader used the conversation to distract Skywalker, backing him up on the platform until Skywalker fell into the carbon freeze device. Vader announced while pointing a finger at the controls, "All to easy." As the device started, a blur passed through the video screen from the carbon freeze device upward. Vader moved toward the device while saying, "Perhaps you are not as strong as the Emperor thought."

A noise directed Vader's attention to the ceiling. Hoses moved, and Rey could only guess that Skywalker was up there. Vader admitted, "Impressive," as he swung his saber at Skywalker or the hoses. Rey could not tell which one. "Most impressive."

Skywalker jumped back into the vid's screen, somersaulting downward. He directed a cut hose at Vader, the carbon freeze chemicals pushing him away from Skywalker. He reached his hand out and grabbed his lightsaber, igniting it. He brought it up just in time to defend himself against Vader's attack.

"Obi-Wan has taught you well. You have controlled your fear. Now release your anger. Only your hatred can destroy me now," spoke Vader as the battle continued.

Skywalker overpowered Vader after many strokes, sending him over the ledge of the platform to the equipment area below. Skywalker deactivated his saber, attached it to his belt, and jumped down to pursue Vader.

The camera changed to a dark tunnel. A round grate opened, allowing Skywalker access. He lifted his hand on the edge of the tunnel, and it lit up. Skywalker stepped through the tunnel to another control room with a glass window.

The vid changed camera angles again, as Skywalker ignited his saber. A corridor with sloping walls ending in a triangular apex was behind him. The supports of the walls were lit with blue lighting. Vader advanced on Skywalker. Vader tore a heavy piece of equipment off the wall while Skywalker was focused on Vader's saber, waiting for the next strike. Skywalker turned just in time and hit the equipment out of the way with his saber.

Vader attacked with his saber, and Skywalker defended just in time. Vader threw another piece of equipment at Skywalker, hitting him in the head. Vader stepped back from the saber battle and continued with his barrage of heavy equipment, hitting Skywalker left and right as he turned. The more Rey watched the vid, the more she was certain Vader was not trying to kill the man but disable him. At the end, one of the pieces of equipment broke the window, and the suction pulled Skywalker through it.

The camera changed again to a weather vane. Skywalker had caught himself on a railing and pulled himself up. He walked inside the triangular corridor again, and the camera changed. Vader came from out of nowhere and attacked Skywalker with his lightsaber. He continued to attack, pushing them out onto the catwalk of the antenna.

After a few strikes and parries, Vader shoved Skywalker to the deck of the catwalk. He spoke, holding his lightsaber to Skywalker's neck, "You are beaten. It is useless to resist. Don't let yourself be destroyed as Obi-Wan did."

Skywalker parried the blade and rose, striking left and right. He hit Vader in the right shoulder and ran behind him onto the weather vane to escape. Vader struck at part of the vane, sending it into the pit below and then struck at Skywalker's saber hand, slicing it off.

Rey stopped the video, not believing what she just saw. "Granddad! Granddad!" Ani did not appear. "I know you're there, Granddad. Tell me, why did you do that?!" Ani still did not appear. Rey pressed play again.

Skywalker screamed and held the stump of his arm to his body as he held onto the weather vane with his good hand. Vader continued, "There is no escape. Don't make me destroy you. Luke, you do not yet realize your importance. You have only begun to discover your power. Join me, and I will complete your training. With our combined strength, we can end this destructive conflict and bring order to the galaxy."

All this while, Skywalker continued to back up on the weather vane. His answer was short. "I'll never join you!"

Vader continued, "If you only knew the power of the dark side. Obi-Wan never told you what happened to your father."

Skywalker jumped down to another part of the vane and said, "He told me enough. He told me you killed him."

Rey stopped the video yet again. "Granddad, how could you? Wasn't it enough to kill this man's father. Why did you have to kill him, too?"

Ani appeared, "I didn't, Rey. Turn off the recording, please."

"No, I don't believe you," answered Rey. Rey pushed play.

Vader held up his hand and said, "No, I am your father."

Skywalker shook his head and denied, "No. No. That's not true. That's impossible."

Vader implored, "Search your feelings. You know it to be true."

"No! No!"

"Luke, you can destroy the Emperor." Rey realized that this was the second time Vader had called Skywalker by his first name, and she heard compassion in that voice—the compassion Ani always had for her. But she did not understand why he could cut off his own son's hand. Vader continued, "He has foreseen this. It is your destiny. Join me, and together we can rule the galaxy as father and son."

Skywalker looked down to his only option other than joining Vader, the pit below the weather vane.

"Come with me. It is the only way," begged Vader.

Luke dropped himself into the pit, floating downward. The video abruptly ended there.

Ani still stood there, silently watching Rey and her reaction as she took this scene in. Rey asked, "How could you? You monster!"

Ani spoke, "Rey, I had to. It was the only way."

"What was the only way? Cutting off your own son's hand? Sending him to his probable death by only offering him the dark side and not the love he needed? You told me before that you would have changed had you known my mom was your daughter. Why didn't you change when you knew that Skywalker was your son?" asked Rey, confused. She owed so much to her granddad for how he had cared for her these last ten years, but she did not know if she could trust him anymore.

Ani answered, "I never killed him. I never could. He is my son. I offered him the only hope I could—destroying the Emperor. We both had to be free of that menace. In the end, he is the one that saved me, Rey."

Rey glared at him. "I don't believe you."

"You will one day. I promise. He believed that there was still in good me. He was the one who brought me back from the dark side. And one day, you will meet him. I guarantee it," promised Ani.

"Granddad, I don't know what to think anymore," admitted Rey quietly. "My instincts tell me I should never trust anyone who could do what I've seen you do." Ani nodded and disappeared.


	23. Chapter 23--I Am Not Vader

**CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE**

The heavy salvage crews had been working for a couple of days already on the _Ravager._ Just as she feared, they had dismantled the power generators and removed them and the rest of the terminals scattered throughout the ship. The medical droids were gone as well. Rey had been able to remove all of the medical supplies that were still in good condition before Unkar's crews got to them.

This was the third day since they had arrived. The bridge decking was gone, as were the inner bulkheads in that region. Rey hauled her cache of devices to her speeder as the sun was rising. It would not be long before the crews arrived again. They started early and worked until dusk.

When Rey reached the access port, she heard sounds outside by her speeder. She quietly dropped her bag and took her staff off her shoulder, holding it ready. She crept forward, peering out behind the tube. Two men were trying to start her speeder, with little luck. This was the first time Rey was grateful that the start-up sequence for the speeder was tricky. She jumped out of the tube and yelled, "Hey! That's my speeder! Hands off!"

They turned around, the one on the seat jumping off, approaching her. One of them, a dark-hair human male, said to his friend, "Look what we have here!" He nodded to his friend, and they attacked her in concert. Rey swung her staff up and took the first opponent under the chin.

The other man tried to grab her from behind, pawing her on the chest. Rey kicked back and swung her staff, bruising him on the leg. The man held onto her tightly. Rey felt the anger swelling in her as she dug her nails into the man's arm. The man yelled, "Take her staff. Relax, sweetheart, we only want to have some fun with you."

The first man stood up, shaking the stars from his head. He approached Rey and tried to grab the staff. Rey knocked him again, but he grabbed onto the end as it connected with him. He pulled on it, but he could not remove it from Rey. His friend maintained a solid grip on Rey from behind.

More crews started to arrive. As they saw the ruckus, more men approached the area. Rey kicked, twisted, and bit into hands, to no avail. As two more men came up, they grabbed the staff out of her hands and pulled her to the sand. More men arrived. There must have been at least a dozen now, watching as the original two started to tear at Rey's clothing.

Something within Rey snapped as fear consumed her. She struck out in blind rage with the Force, sending her attackers flying into the hull of the _Ravager_. She then stood, adjusting her clothing. A few were not knocked out and continued to advance on her, angry and determined to get their prize. Rey held up her hand the way she had watched Vader hold his in the vids and squeezed. Unkar arrived, watching the scene. He screamed, "Vader! It's Vader! Let her go!" Her attackers clutched at their throats, unable to scream or do anything else. "He'll kill you. Let her go!"

Rey stopped her choke-holds on these men. She had never killed anyone before, and she was not sure she wanted to start now. She grabbed her staff and yelled at them all, "I am not Vader! That was me! I will finish what I started if you ever attack me or my things again!"

She turned to the access tube as the men stared at her in horror. After grabbing her things, she mounted her speeder and headed back to her walker to catch some sleep. She hoped her little demonstration would encourage Unkar to deal with her fairly from this point forward.


	24. Chapter 24--Show Her the Light

**CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR**

It took five weeks for the salvage crew to disassemble the decking of the _Ravager_. The crews lifted off from Jakku, hopefully never to be seen again. Each day, Rey was fending off attack from at least one person who had not learned the lesson yet. They either tried to steal her speeder, steal her salvage, or steal something she was not ready to give. They were never successful.

Each time the assaulters met with the short end of her staff and the Force around their necks. Rey never killed, but a few had coughed up blood as she had broken their tracheas. At first it bothered her, but depending on her mood, she sometimes enjoyed seeing them squirm on the sand.

Today Rey exited the ship with a few pieces and headed back to Niima Outpost. Unkar would only be there one more hour, and Rey was out of food again. She had a few good pieces that she had repaired over the last few days plus five new pieces that were good for melting only.

After stopping at the washing table for a quick scrub on the new pieces, Rey stood in line for Unkar's. When it finally became her turn, Unkar was in a bad mood. He growled, "What garbage have you brought today?"

Rey pulled out the five scrap pieces. Unkar valued them, "One quarter portion."

Rey bargained, "Two portions."

"One half portion, and that is all. Scrap only," argued Unkar.

Rey took it. Then she brought out the two good pieces that were in working order. Unkar held them up, examining each one in turn. "Five portions for this piece, and three for this one."

Rey yelled, "They are worth ten portions each. Both work like new!"

While Unkar and Rey argued it out, Unkar motioned for two of his sentries to approach Rey from behind. "Very well, ten portions for both," Unkar agreed as his sentries attacked Rey.

The one to her right tried to put a sack over her head. Rey quickly brought her staff around and took him and his partner out. When they both were on the ground, she stretched out her hands to each of them, clutching with the Force around their necks. "You were saying?" asked Rey as the sentries clutched at their necks.

"Ten portions for both," adamantly stated Unkar.

Rey clutched a little harder. The sentries both coughed up blood, some dribbling from one's nose. "Again?"

"Ten portions. You don't have the nerve to kill, little girl," stated Unkar.

Rey closed her eyes, taking in a sharp breath, letting the anger fuel her, she clenched harder, shutting the sounds out of her ears as she prepared to kill the men for her portions.

"Rey, stop! This is not the way!" ordered Ani. "Rey, stop! These men don't deserve to die! Please don't choose this path!"

"Why not? You did?!" answered Rey to seemingly to no one as she released her grip.

"Rey, the dark path seems right at the time, but it is all lies," informed Ani. "Please, let go of your anger."

"Go away! Just go away! I'm going to make my own choices from now on!" argued Rey.

Unkar looked at her dumb-founded. He handed her ten portions. "Take your portions and go, Scavenger! And take your ghost with you!"

"He's not my ghost!" argued Rey, shoving the portions into her bag, upset that she only had ten-and-a-half portions left. It would get her through three weeks if she stretched it, but that was all.

Rey headed back to her walker, wanting more than anything to take the X-Wing up in a flight to clear her head. Hunger won over pleasure as she pulled up to her home. She felt very weary as she climbed into her hammock, so weary she almost could not remember her own name. All she could think of was that she was a scavenger.

* * *

When Rey drifted off to sleep, Ani apparated into the walker. He held his hand over her head and sent her into a deep Jedi trance. "Rey, forgive me. Forgive me for ever teaching you about the Force. Forgive me for what I'm about to do. I love you, granddaughter, and I will not let you go down the dark path—never. How will you ever save your brother if you do?"

Rey stirred a bit at his words, hearing and yet not hearing. Ani sent the Force deep into her mind, activating a Jedi mind-wipe. He very carefully sought the memories he wanted to erase—anything about the Force. He implanted the thought that the Force was a myth. He blocked all knowledge on how to use it. He blocked all knowledge of himself and ghosts and Vader.

Lastly, although it hurt him so badly to do it, he removed every thought about her family except the memory of her mother leaving her on Jakku. She would not remember the vids, her father, her uncle, the droids, or even anything more of her mother. That hurt Ani the most, as the memory of his mother was the one thing that kept him stable while he was a Padawan. Ani just hoped that her earliest memories of her mother would be enough. If he did this correctly, she would remember enough to survive on Jakku.

Ani was certain that proper stimuli would also bring some of this knowledge back. He knew she would meet her Uncle Luke one day. He also knew that someone had wiped Rey's mind of her earliest life on . . . on Naboo? _So Leia had taken her to Naboo. Living in a cottage when by right she should have lived in the Palace of Theed. My poor Rey._ _My poor Leia. My poor Padmé._ _And now, I have none of you._

Ani sent off across the galaxy to his son, _Luke, she's all yours now. Show her the light._


	25. Chapter 25--I Am No One

**CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE**

Rey awoke the next day with a blinding headache. She rolled out of her hammock and crawled up to the deck with the refreshers. She took a rag and soaked it in cool water, placing it on her forehead before crawling back into her hammock. Her brain was very foggy. She knew her name. She knew where she was. She knew not much else—her brain could not even tell her how to stop the pain.

* * *

Ani watched as Rey suffered the effects of the mindwipe, helpless to do anything for her. As soon as she was asleep again, he prepped some bread from a ration packet for her and left it by her hammock with her canteen of water. And he waited.

* * *

Rey awoke as the sun reached its Zenith, raising the temperature inside the walker to unbearable heights. Her headache seemed to have dissipated, but her rag on her forehead was dry. She reached for her canteen to quench her thirst and found a piece of bread next to it. "I must have been out of my mind. I don't remember making bread or leaving it there." She took a bit of it, letting the carbohydrates sink into her body. After a few minutes, her sugar level increased and she was able to roll out of the hammock.

She grabbed her bag and her staff, climbed onto her speeder, and headed out to one of the old TIE fighters a few kilometers away from the _Ravager_. The _Ravager_ had a few pieces left on it, but none that were accessible right now. The wind was blowing yet again, moving swaths of sand across the desert. The grains got into her eyes, her mouth, her ears—everywhere. She took her scarf and covered her mouth, nose, and ears. The heat was almost unbearable, but she had to scavenge some more. She did not have a lot of rations left, and she needed some other supplies as well.

After flying across the desert floor for almost an hour, Rey came up on a snub fighter and two TIEs in the sand. She jumped down from the speeder and raced to the first TIE, her scanner in hand. Fortunately, no radiation. She checked over the other two ships carefully, which also came back as clean.

The TIEs seemed to have been picked over thoroughly already, which was not surprising, since they were both almost out of the sand. The A-Wing on the other hand was still in good condition, with only the cockpit showing above the sand. The pilot was still in the cockpit, even. Rey cleared the sand from the grooves of the canopy and worked the latch open. The springs had frozen with dust contamination, so Rey had to thrust the canopy up with all of her strength.

The corpse was all bones now, with a little flesh baked on in hard strings. Rey hauled at it and thrust it from the cockpit. Something went flying from the pilot's neck. Rey scuttled down the sand dune and grabbed it. It was a pair of macroquadnoculars. She adjusted the controls and found that one of the nocs still worked, but was blurry. She shoved it in her bag to fiddle with it back at her workbench on the walker.

The sun beat down on her all afternoon as she pulled out the electronics from the A-Wing. She finished two canteens of water before the sun started to set. Using her knife, she scratched "Rey" into the top of the hull near the canopy, claiming the vehicle as her own. Unlike the _Ravager_ , there was an unwritten rule among the scavengers of Jakku that once a small ship was claimed everyone kept their hands off it—well, usually. Sometimes, if it was too good a find to ignore, scavengers would turn into thieves.

* * *

Rey returned to her walker that evening and fiddled with the macroquadnoculars. She was able to get one of the lenses working adequately—if she squeezed the fitting hard with two fingers and pressed down on the filter. Unkar would not pay anything for this piece of scrap; therefore, Rey decided to hold onto it for her own use. What she really needed, though, were some goggles to block the glare of the sun and keep the sand out of her face during the windstorms.

She scraped another day mark in the side of the walker as she prepared her food. In her portion stack she noticed one portion was missing the bread but still had the green meat. She cooked up the extra meat, figuring she must have cooked the bread the night before while she was blinded by that headache.

While eating her dinner outside on the sand shaded by one of the walker's feet, she looked above to see a ship take off from Tuanul Village, about fifty kilometers away. She watched as its booster streaked a long white cloud across the sky behind it as it winked out of sight into space. Rey licked her metal dish clean, and returned to the walker. She grabbed her helmet and climbed to the other side of the dune, where her X-Wing fighter was camouflaged. After removing the netting, she reconnected the hoses to the engine and began the start-up cycle. While performing her pre-flight check, the engine hummed and whistled properly. Rey hopped in the cockpit and lifted off.

She zoomed across the desert, down the Crackle, up the Spike, through the Goazan Badlands, across Kelvin Ridge. The X-Wing performed flawlessly, thanks to all the minor modifications she had made on it the last few years. There was nothing like soaring into the clouds to clear your head! _But when did I learn how to fly? What happened yesterday? I must have hit my head or something. I know my name; I know what I do; but I don't know much else. I am no one._


	26. Chapter 26--Bargain Rather Than Fight

**CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX**

It had been another year, another 368 marks on the walker wall. This was the year she had run out of water. The cistern that was in the walker, that took up much of the walker's upper compartment, was dry. The more she would think about it, the more her head hurt. Rey could not remember building the cistern herself nor filling it. It was obviously not part of the original walker.

There was so much about her life she could not explain. The parts she could remember brought no peace, only questions. She remembered being dragged off a ship by a green alien and shoved into Unkar's fat, slimy hands. She remembered she was 5. She remembered the way her mother screamed for her as they both were dragged apart. But she did not remember how she moved to this walker and became a scavenger.

She knew her speeder inside and out. She had a vague memory of putting it together, but maybe it was a memory of a repair. She could not remember ever learning how to fly, but she could fly like the wind in her X-Wing with two engines and not enough boost to break the atmosphere. She loved flying. It was the one thing on this blasted rock that was exhilarating, and it was the one thing she was going to have to give up today.

She could live a few days or even a week without food—had done it many times in the last year—but she could not live without water. She could not even scavenge today without water. She had hoped that she would gain enough salvage yesterday for a few portions and a few liters of water, but all she was able to pull was some scrap to be melted.

Rey climbed to her X-Wing and removed the camouflage netting. She checked out the ship, noting which things Unkar would discount for, and then fired her up. She may have to give up the craft today, but she was determined to get one more flight out of her first. Rey sped her across the desert, plying the wind as it buffeted against the foils. She raced straight, she pulled up, she dived down. She pulled into a loop, feeling the exhilaration as the gravity shifted in her body.

As the sun peeked out from behind the dunes, Rey pulled the craft back into position and headed toward Niima Outpost. Below her she could see the scavengers making their way to the graveyard. She hoped that after selling her X-Wing, that she could hop a ride with a scavenger on a repulsor sled—for a price, of course.

* * *

Rey brought the X-Wing down at the landing area. She settled it next to the beat-up freighter _,_ its camouflage netting blowing in the wind. The old freighter had not been touched in years. The last time she had sneaked on board, the sublight engine lay in pieces all over the cargo hold. She could never figure out what Unkar wanted to do with the ship. At the rate he was going, it would end up being scrapped before long.

Unkar came out from his trading booth to meet the new arrival. He was shocked when he saw it was Rey and not a trader. "Where did you get that?" asked Unkar, pointing at the craft.

"I found it years ago and fixed it up. It has no hyperdrive and two of the engines are dead, but it handles atmospheric maneuvers perfectly. Not even a crack in the canopy," spoke Rey.

Unkar moved to the ship, moving his hands across the hull. He opened the access hatch and examined the features. He was actually pleased when he asked, "How much?"

Rey had no idea how much to ask for it. She was hoping he would say something, and she would ask for more, knowing he would low-ball her. Rey decided to ask for a year's worth of supplies, "1,000 portions and unlimited water for the next standard year."

Unkar smiled way too quickly. Rey bit her tongue. She must have come in too low; he was practically jumping at her bid. Unkar opened his mouth to speak, but then his head dipped forward as if it had been hit from the back. He shook his head and opened his mouth to accept the offer, when his head tipped backward, his eye impacted. He raised his hand to his eye and mentioned, "No, that's too low, Rey. This ship, I could get at least two—" His head went forward again. Unkar raised his hand to the back of his head where a lump was forming. "I mean at least three year's worth of portions and water for this." Unkar looked around, nervously, suspecting that Vader's ghost was at it again. "But I don't have that much available right now. If there are other things you need, we can create a trade for them: clothing, supplies, some of the salvage that they've brought in."

Rey was staggered by that, food and water for three years. Or supplies. She needed some supplies. And if there was a generator . . . Rey took a month's worth of supplies and a week's worth of water and basic supplies for the month. She flagged down one of the scavengers as they headed out in the early morning to the graveyard. For a week's worth of portions, they allowed her to climb aboard the repulsor lift with her goods. The water would have been impossible to drag through the desert otherwise.

* * *

After storing her goods in her walker, Rey fired up her speeder and headed out to the Star Destroyer _Inflictor._ Over the last year, scavengers had blasted a hole into the hull and started the excavation. It was a free-for-all. The sand had shifted a bit during the last storm, and now it's aft keel stuck up in the air. She grabbed her tools and started back on the power room. Unlike the _Ravager_ , this power room did not survive the impact. However, there were some prime pieces just waiting to be removed if you knew how to do it. Her scanner read very little radiation in the room, but the rest of the scavengers avoided it out of due caution. Within a week, Rey should be able to start a stockpile of parts and then portions. Maybe she could one day get her own permanent dwelling or save enough to buy passage off this planet.


	27. Chapter 27--Teleport Me Off This Rock

**CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN**

It took a month, but Unkar finally paid up on the portions. Rey took the rest of the water allowances in portions, too, to trade as needed for more water. Something told her not to trust Unkar to hold up his end of the deal for that long. Also, she hoped she could get off the planet with the extra portions. All she was waiting for now was a ship that would take her. She wished the Wookiees would return, but she had not seen them in years.

She had counted up her portions twice, stored them carefully in the cockpit of the walker. 7,482 portions as of today. Twenty gallons of water, which would last a week or two, depending on how much scavenging she did. The more she worked, the more water she consumed in the grueling desert.

Today, the 6,016 day after she had arrived (or there about), 11 years since that fateful day when she was 5, she was headed into town. Two ships were due in today. She was hoping they would take her portions and her off this rock. She just had no idea where to go.

Rey pulled her speeder up to the outpost, parking it near the beat-up Corellian freighter. The netting continued to flap in the breeze. Rey noticed the ramp was down again on the ship, meaning someone was working on it. She could not believe that anyone would waste his time on that bucket of bolts. That thing would never fly again.

Rey spent her time looking at the different items at the bazaar. She had never had any money or portions before except to survive. The only things she usually bought from the bazaar were her supplies—occasionally a new water container, sometimes a new tool. Nothing really interested her, not enough for her to give up one more portion that might be needed for her to get off this rock.

The first freighter landed an hour later. Two crew came off, an enormous Besalisk pilot and a lithe Togruta male, whom Rey assumed was the first mate. She could see other crew working in the hold beyond the open ramp. As the crew approached Unkar's booth, Rey intercepted the Togruta and asked, "Got room for a passenger?"

The Togruta looked her up and down and then answered, "Depends. How much do you have?"

"Over 7,000 portions," answered Rey, a little nervous.

The Togruta looked at her and laughed in her face. "Seven thousand portions? That would only get you off the planet. What do you expect us to do? Drop you back to the surface once we blast off? Go away, little girl, and don't bother until you have at least 20,000."

Rey pressed on, "I'm willing to work for the rest of the passage."

"Doing what?"

"I'm a pretty good pilot myself," boasted Rey.

"Without your own ship. I doubt that," debated the Togruta.

"I had my own fighter. I sold it to Unkar. How else do you think I got the 7,000 portions?" argued Rey.

"Silly girl. You should have sold it to us. It was worth a lot more than 7,000 portions. Unkar cheated you. That's if you ever owned it," chided the Togruta.

"I'm strong. I could be one of your laborers," begged Rey.

"No. We have no more room for another crew member, nor the need," answered the Togruta. "Sorry." He walked away to Unkar's booth to join his mate.

* * *

Later that afternoon, while Rey's stomach grumbled for lack of a midday meal, the other ship due in landed. It was run by a gang called Kanjiklub. Tasu Leach strode down the ramp of the rectangular freighter. The ship looked in no better shape than the old freighter tethered on the landing strip. He wore a black under tunic and trousers covered with Bantha-hide armor, with multiple gas cartridges slotted into grooves in the armor for his weapons. He was short for a human with dark, straight hair and a wispy beard. His mate came with him, a man slightly taller, but dressed similarly and just as mean.

Rey shrunk back. She had heard rumors of this gang, and she was afraid to even approach them. However, she could not afford for even one more day to pass, as her supplies would dwindle even more. She boldly stepped up to Tasu Leach.

"What, Girl?" he asked in Jablogian.

Rey did not understand him but boldly stated her question anyway, "I have 7,000 portions. Can I buy passage on your ship?"

Tasu Leach asked in Jablogian, "7,000? How far?"

"I don't understand you," stated Rey.

Tasu Leach repeated his question in Huttese, "7,000? How far?"

Rey understood those words and responded in Huttese, "Anywhere. Whatever your next port is. I'm willing to work, too."

Tasu Leach leered, "Really? What do you do?"

"I can pilot, heavy labor, whatever," answered Rey, desperate but scared.

"Whatever? I have one opening on this crew," remarked Tasu, running his hand down her cheek, turning it to see her profile. "But you'll have to clean yourself—"

Out of nowhere, Tasu fell to the ground, his head jerking back as if he had been punched. His first mate leaned forward, clutching himself as he took a kick to the groin.

Then Rey's speeder started all by itself. Rey turned, afraid someone was stealing it from her. She ran after it as it flew by itself toward the watering hole in the center of the outpost. As it reached the hole, it stopped perfectly in front of her, waiting for her to mount. Rey was bewildered but knew that someone was guiding her. She jumped on her speeder and headed back to her walker.

* * *

When she arrived back at her walker, she found her datapad by the entry, turned on, with a message on it, "Never trust Kanjiklub! They are ruthless pirates!"

It scared Rey! Who had been in here? Who knew where she hid her datapad? Who knew about her run-in with Kanjiklub? She sat down on her bunk, took a sip of water from her canteen, and spoke out into the empty air, "Show yourself! If you're still in here, show yourself!"

After a few minutes, tears poured down her face. She really wanted to talk to . . . to that man she had seen in her dreams recently, the one with the dark blonde hair and the piercing blue eyes, the one who always seemed to be guiding her in her dreams. But now, she just felt alone.


	28. Chapter 28--Processing Units

**CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT**

For a few months, Rey continued approaching the freighter crews for passage off the planet, but each time she was either denied outright or something would happen to the crew or ship itself, preventing her escape. Four months in, she had lost enough of her portions to not even try anymore.

A year later, Rey's stockpile of portions had dwindled to about one year's worth left. She had traded some for a generator and a small lamp. She had eaten a lot, as much of her scavenging for the last few months had yielded only scrap metal for melting. Some had gone for new clothes as her old ones worn out and she outgrew them. Some had gone to fuel for her speeder, fuel for her stove, fuel for her generator.

Her body was changing before her eyes. She was looking more and more like a woman and less as a girl. The only thing she refused to change was her hairstyle. She knew one day her family would find her. She kept her hairstyle so they would recognize her. She still was not sure if she would recognize them. She hoped she would, but the memories of her mother were growing fainter. She never understood why she thought of her family as more than just her mother. She always referred to her family as "them" in her head, but she only ever remembered her mother.

Today she was heading out before dawn to remove a computer system from the _Inflictor_. It seemed to work properly, but without a generator, there was no way she could test it in the dilapidated ship. Rey pulled on her boots, shaking the sand out of them. She grabbed her staff and satchel before heading out on her speeder.

* * *

When she reached the _Inflictor_ , she found a few crews were already working, even though the sun had yet to rise. This ship was much hotter during the day than the _Ravager had_ ever got. Someone said that the _Ravager_ , when it still had power generators, would fire up at night. All the lights would shine and the life-support systems would activate. They would shut down just as the sun would dawn. This scavenger believed it was ghosts. The _Inflictor_ did not have any generators, but whether it had any ghosts was still to be determined.

Rey crawled into the access hole that was blasted into the hull. As she made her way down the sloping decks, holding onto the ropes strung throughout the ship, one of the scavengers yelled at her, "Watch out! Don't go onto the crew deck. Something's down there!"

Rey looked at him and yelled back, "I don't believe in ghosts!" Rey pulled herself through a partially open blast door and started in the third crewman's quarters on the left. This was a dormitory of sorts, with racks for 18 crew members. Gear lockers tipped against the bunks or blocked the path altogether. Stormtrooper armor littered the room. The console Rey was looking for was across the debris at the other end of the room.

She climbed over the debris and made it to the console. She unhooked the cabling and hauled the viewscreen out first. Then she grabbed the input devices and cabling. And lastly she struggled with the large processing unit, hauling it over the bunks and toppled gear lockers to the entrance.

It took her three separate trips to haul the devices up the raked decks to her speeder. By the time she reached the speeder the last time, her mouth was parched, and she was hungry. She tapped the last few drops of water out of her canteen and headed home to the walker.

After eating a meal and drinking more water, Rey brought the computer inside. She set it up near the generator, brushing all of the accumulated sand and dust from it. She hooked it up again, plugged it in, and waited for the start-up sequence to finish. She had no idea what to expect.

She was disappointed when a security screen popped up asking for a password. Rey tried different words randomly, but nothing worked—not that she was surprised. In anger she banged on the computer monitor and kicked the processing unit. All of a sudden the entire unit shutdown.

"Figures. Not that you were any good to me anyway! A whole day's work wasted on this piece of junk!" moaned Rey as she readied herself for bed. She was going to sleep a few hours and then head back out to the _Inflictor_.

* * *

Rey's sleep was disturbed with dreams, dreams of the man again. She felt like she knew him. He was trying to tell her something, but she could not understand him. He kept saying a few letters and numbers over and over to her. That was the whole dream, for what must have been hours, just "Vev-aurek-dorn-two-one-esk-resh-three-seven."

She awoke reciting the code, "Vev-aurek-dorn-two-one-esk-resh-three-seven." Her head ached and her stomach growled again. After drinking some water and preparing a portion, her eyes fell on the console again. While she looked at it, it started up of its own accord, just as it had shut down the night before.

She sat down, at peace. She knew the security code. That was what the man was telling her in the dream last night. She punched in, "Vev-aurek-dorn-two-one-esk-resh-three-seven."

The console sprang to life bringing up a menu which seemed very familiar to her, but Rey had never used a computer before—at least not that she could remember. The menu listed flight simulation, language training, and Imperial operations. Rey pressed flight simulation. An array of ships came up grouped by class: Imperial fighters, cruisers, star destroyers, shuttles, troop transports; civilian freighters; Rebel fighters, cruisers, gunships, troop transports. Rey chose freighters.

The list populated to a seemingly endless selection. There was the Ghtroc line. She had seen one of the 720's disabled in the graveyard before. Then there was the Corellian line. She scrolled through those and found the one she was looking for: the YT-1300.


	29. Chapter 29--A New Find

**CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE**

Another year had passed on Jakku, and Rey waited. Waited for her family. Waited for something different. She still had six months of rations stockpiled, but she continued scavenging. There was really nothing else to do with her time. She was wary of the other scavengers, and in the last few months she had to fend off attacks on her claims and on her body. The sun was relentless, but so were the people of Jakku.

She hated it. She hated the sand. She hated heat. She hated Unkar. She hated the Teedo. The hated the scavengers. But mostly, she hated the loneliness.

Sometimes she would catch herself speaking as if someone were there. Other times she would awake in the middle of a conversation, speaking with the man who haunted her dreams. She wished she knew who he was. She wished she knew him for real. He seemed like he cared for her. Sometimes she would fall asleep, imagining his arms wrapped around her.

* * *

Today she would climb the Crackle and the Spike and look for something new. She needed a new challenge. The _Inflictor_ was a hot bed of angry scavengers all fighting for what little was left in it. She headed out toward the graveyard on her speeder just before dawn, hoping to catch the sun at just the right angle.

* * *

When she reached the top of the Spike, she took out her monocular and viewed in a 360 degree angle the graveyard spread about her. There was the _Inflictor_ , the _Ravager_ , the bed of TIEs (or what was left of them), walkers in a row, snub fighters, a shuttle—and then she saw something gleam in the distance. She moved her monocular back. The blowing sand obscured her view at first, and then it settled down. Another gleam, bouncing off a canopy or cockpit windscreen.

Rey hopped back on her speeder and headed toward the gleaming light. She had to maneuver around hills of dunes and wrecks, but she eventually made it. When she arrived, she was disappointed to find the gleam was the cockpit screen of a TIE fighter. The rest of the vehicle was strewn in pieces around her.

She grabbed her scanner to check for radiation. As she turned it on, it started to go crazy with high readings. Rey hopped on her speeder and fled the scene, racing back home for the anti-rad meds she had found on the _Inflictor_ a few months back. She was not looking forward to another round of radiation sickness.

When she was far enough away from the TIE wreckage, she ran the scanner down her body. It read minor exposure. Her clothes would have to be burned, and she would have to waste precious water scrubbing her body and hair. "Drat!" she yelled. "Drat! Drat! Drat! There goes the next few days as well." This was her third bout with radiation sickness, and it never got easier. She just hoped the fatigue and nausea would not set in until she was able to get some more water from Unkar.

* * *

The next few days were brutal. The fatigue, the fever, the nausea, the hunger, the thirst. She could barely move out of her hammock to use the facilities before collapsing again. Her dreams were fitful. She dreamt of the man again, imagining him in the walker with her, bringing her portions to eat, water to drink, wiping her head with a rag.

When she was lucid, she would find the rag next to her hammock beside the water canteen and an empty plate. Her pan was on the stove. Her light was on. She must have been sleepwalking. She collapsed back on her hammock and heard the man speak, "Rey, just relax. This, too, will pass. Granddad will take care of you."


	30. Chapter 30--Tuanul Village

**CHAPTER THIRTY**

It still rankled Rey when she thought about the Ghtroc 690 freighter that Devi and Strunk stole from her. It had been over six months since they flew off with it, and not a day went by that she did not think about it. _Would they have kept to the deal if she had wanted to leave Jakku?_ she wondered while she ate her meal in the dusk of Jakku.

Jakku. The planet of wind, sand, and rock. _Probably not another planet like it in the galaxy—well, at least not inhabited,_ she thought as she watched a ship launch from Tuanul Village, about 50 kilometers away. Some days she wondered if she would ever get off this rock; other days she wished she could stay, because at least here she knew how to survive. Leaving her home of 14 years would mean uncertainty—how would she eat, where would she work, where would she live? She also feared if she ever left, that she would miss her family when they came back for her. Deep down she knew she would see them again.

While she scraped her plate with her tongue and fingers, she watched as additional lights showed in the dark sky. She hurried inside to grab her quadnocs. She raised it to the sky and could pick out four lights descending to the surface. They seemed to land near Kelvin Ravine, maybe even at the Sacred Village.

She watched through her quadnocs as they dipped below the ridge, the four lights of the ships joining together to form one large blur of light. The ships were too far away to hear, but she could feel the terror. It was almost as if she were there herself.

 _What was that light?_ It was orange, but it only appeared for a moment. _There it is again!_ Rey adjusted the quadnoc, gazing through the one viable lens. Then she dropped the device in shock. The village was on fire! It was under attack by the First Order! Rey ran inside of her walker, battening down the hatch, hiding in the cockpit. If the First Order came this far west, there was a slight chance they would not look for her in the walker. She knew that if she fell into their hands, things would go from bad to worse.

She pulled her knees up to her chest and grabbed onto her calves, working herself into a small ball. She closed her eyes and breathed deeply, trying to shut out the pain of the villagers dying.

After a few minutes, Rey felt something different—a dreadful foreboding, but something more. She felt a connection, a connection she could not escape. She climbed out of her walker and raised her quadnocs again. Another shipped approached Tuanul, this one triangular in shape—much larger than the others. As the ship landed, something within her called out to her and prodded her to go to the village. It took all of her effort to deny this pull, but she resisted. Being alive on Jakku was better than being dead on Jakku, if only barely.


	31. Chapter 31--Visions of a Creature

**CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE**

Rey woke from her sleep screaming. Instead of the usual young man she dreamt of, last night she had been haunted by a creature in a mask—no, not _haunted_ by, but _hunted_ by the creature. She climbed out of her bed, a real bed now made with a mattress she had rescued from a freighter spread over a round personnel access tube. She drank some water to clear her head of the terrifying image. She was not sure what was more disconcerting—the mask, being hunted, or a connection she felt with the creature. She could not only feel a connection but the conflict within him—something was tearing him apart on the inside, something she wanted nothing to do with.

Rey shoved the thought from her mind and thought about her scavenging for the day. After breakfast, Rey headed out to the remains of the Star Destroyer _Inflictor_. Donning her goggles that she had found on a corpse a few months before, she set out across the dunes. Over the last couple of years the wind storms had uncovered over half of the superstructure. Unkar's heavy crews had taken out the decking and even the large engines this time. Small salvage was all that remained, but sometimes she could find working pieces. And she would need some working pieces this time—she was out of food, again.

When she arrived at the ship, she left her speeder at the base of the dune. Entering through an empty engine port, she climbed the inner wall of the destroyer, pulling devices off as she climbed. The light on her goggles shined on the repulsor lift she stood on. She grabbed some cabling, pulling it loose. Then she grabbed a fuse and removed it from the equipment. After shoving it in her satchel, she jumped to the rope that hung from the ceiling and slid down, jumping the last few meters to the sandy floor below.

She dragged her salvage pieces on a spare sheet of metal. When she reached the glaring heat of Jakku, she shoved her staff in the sand beside her, removed her goggles, and drank the last few drops of water from her canteen. The image of the creature from her nightmare appeared in front of her face. She shook her head, thinking it must be the heat causing hallucinations. She jumped onto her improvised sled and headed down the dune to her speeder.

At the base of the hill, she grabbed a tow line and dragged the sled to her speeder. After stowing her salvage in her cargo net, Rey sped off toward Niima Outpost, hoping to get enough food to last through the next day.

* * *

When she reached the outpost, she dragged her finds on the cargo net to the cleaning table. Rey spoke to no one, but she could not help but look at the aged woman across from her cleaning her own salvage pieces. Rey stopped cleaning and wondered, _Is that my future if my family never comes? Is this all my life will be? Scavenge, clean, trade, survive? Will I be here forever?_ While she pondered those thoughts, one of Unkar's sentries, a small alien with a brown hood, encouraged her with a sharp hit with his staff to continue cleaning or move away from the table for others to use it. Rey looked at him sternly, upset that her thoughts had been disturbed. She scrubbed harder and faster to avoid another hit.

* * *

When her items were as clean as possible, Rey brought them to Unkar's booth. She knew she should get at least a full portion for the four pieces she brought him, but Unkar was being unusually obstinate today. He made her wait in silence for ages before he even acknowledged her and examined the pieces. He rumbled, "What you have brought me today . . . is worth . . . hmm . . ." He let it hang, observing how desperate Rey was. Her mouth tensed. He smiled wickedly as he swindled her again, "One-quarter portion." Rey looked back at him, schooling her expression to one devoid of emotion, but inside she was angry and disappointed at the result. Recently, she had learned that arguing with Unkar only caused him to reduce the trade.

Unkar slapped down the sealed packet that constituted one-quarter portion. It would serve for one meal tonight. Tomorrow morning, she would wake-up hungry, her lean stomach growling. Glaring at Unkar, she dragged the portion off the ledge.


	32. Chapter 32--Teedo and the Droid

**CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO (SLIGHTLY REVISED 8-26-16)**

 **Many thanks to palermoj for suggested changes to this chapter.**

* * *

As the brutal Jakku sun set and a half-dozen scavengers walked in with their salvage from the graveyard, Rey sped across the desert on her walker. When she arrived at her modest home, a fallen AT-AT walker in the graveyard, she marked another day off her wall. She did not know why she kept marking them, except out of habit. She had not counted them in ages. There must be over 7,000 marks by now.

She prepared her meal of bread and green meat. She scraped the meat in the pan and flipped it over as her bread rose quickly on the stove. Her X-Wing fighter doll watched the daily ritual from a shelf near the stove. Wilted red flowers, which Rey had found growing in Niima, reminded her that no matter how bad the situation is, beauty still existed.

She grabbed her food and took it outside under the shade of a walker foot. After eating, she cleaned her bowl by licking it. She watched as a ship launched many kilometers away. She wondered if it was a First Order ship joining the vessels above the planet or someone trying to escape.

She grabbed her fighter helmet that was beside her and placed it on her head. She pretended she was the pilot of that ship, escaping the terror of the First Order, smugglers, or even Unkar Plutt.

Then she heard it: binary. _Out here?_ It sounded like it was in distress. _It must be a droid. Someone must be capturing a droid—probably a Teedo for parts. Not while I'm around!_ Rey thought as she quickly took off the helmet and ran across the top of the walker to the road, grabbing her staff that was thrust into the sand as she ran.

As Rey crested the dune, she viewed a Teedo on a luggabeast with a small spherical droid in a net. The droid kept "groaning" in binary while Teedo tried to get it under control, yelling at it in Teedo. Rey yelled in the Teedo language, " _Tal'ama parqual!_ "

The Teedo struggled some more and said some unintelligible words to Rey. Rey ran toward the droid, yelling, " _Parqual zatana!_ "

Rey threw down her staff, knelt down, and cut the net that trapped the droid with her curved knife. The Teedo continued to yell at Rey, threatening her, but unable to do anything else. His clan had already had experience with Rey and her staff, and they knew to steer clear of her.

Rey stood and fiercely yelled, " _Noma!_ "

The Teedo barked, "Ahh!" Rey was not sure what he actually said, but the intention was clearly not favorable. The small droid rolled clear of the netting and beeped aggressively in triumph as the Teedo departed, taunting the stranger.

Rey quieted the droid with "Shhh!" The droid quieted instantly. "That's just Teedo. Wants you for parts. He's no respect for anyone."

The droid's head tilted, as it sighed in response. The two watched as the Teedo disappeared from sight, and then the droid beeped a question.

Rey looked at the droid and noticed something. She kneeled in the sand as she said, "Your antenna's bent." She looked back at the departing Teedo and then popped the antenna out of the droid's cranium. She straightened the antenna while she said, "Where do you come from?"

The droid beeped a sarcastic reply. As Rey reattached the antenna, she responded, "Classified? Really?" The droid continued to beep at her. "Me, too. Big secret."

Once the antenna was reattached, Rey turned and motioned with her left hand behind her. "Niima Outpost is that way. Stay off Kelvin Ridge. Keep away from the Sinking Fields in the north. You'll drown in the sand."

The droid beeped a few more sentences as Rey stood to leave and grabbed her staff, rolling a few meters toward her. Rey admonished, "Don't follow me." She pointed behind her with her right hand. "Town is that way."

The droid seemed to beg, moving its cranium from side-to-side. "No!" It begged again and waited. Rey stopped and thought about her decision. _A droid? Really? I don't have the power for it. I barely have enough to run the glow lamp now._

Then she heard that voice from her dreams. She could almost see his form waver in the heat emanating from the sand. "Rey . . ." Rey glared back stubbornly. "Rey . . ." admonished the voice more insistently. "This little droid needs you."

Rey's compassion overrode her common sense. The man was right: she could not leave the little guy out here on his own all night. _I guess one night's charge would be all right. And if he stays out here, I'll probably spend all night rescuing him from the Teedo anyway._ Rey turned back and stared at the droid, who waited patiently. Rey motioned with her eyes for the droid to follow her. The droid beeped in exultation and rolled toward her. Rey turned before the droid caught up and said, "In the morning, you go." The droid followed her through the sand, chirping pleasantly. "You're welcome," remarked Rey as they trundled back to her walker for the night. _Maybe having some company would be good for once._


	33. Chapter 33--Disturbing Dreams

**CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE**

When Rey reached the walker, the funny droid used his tow cables and winches to haul himself into the belly of the beast. Rey grabbed her plate and set it back on the shelf, settling down for the night in her bunk. The droid beeped out a stream of binary.

Rey, tired, looked at him. "No, we can't go to town now. Your friend won't be there tonight. No one will be there tonight."

More beeps echoed through the walker. "Yes, I'm sure," repeated Rey. The droid spat out some more beeps. "Look, first thing tomorrow, we'll head to Niima Outpost. I'll return you to your friend and collect my reward. But now, I need to sleep." Rey covered her head with her blanket and turned her back on the little droid, eager to sleep. The droid rolled over to her and continued to beep at her.

Rey rolled back at the droid, surprised to see it right in her face. "Hey, I need to sleep, so if you don't mind, go park it over there. You can plug into the generator if you need power, but leave me alone." Rey rolled back to face the bulkhead thinking, No reward is worth this.

* * *

That night, Rey slept fitfully. It started out with the dream—no, the memory—of her mother. The green Rodian pulling her away from Rey; Unkar pulling Rey away from her. Rey awoke, screaming for her to come back, fear encompassing her. The droid in the corner by the generator beeped at her, compassionately. Rey looked at him, at once annoyed that someone else had heard her scream and touched that someone cared, even if it was a droid.

Her next bout of sleep was about droids, or a droid, to be exact. She had never had this dream before, but there was something about it that was seemed very familiar. She dreamed that she was about a meter high in a small house with white plaster walls and large windows that let the sunlight stream in. A blue-and-white astromech droid stood in front of her, beeping and whirring. She held a doll in front of his face, not the fighter pilot doll she had made herself, but a real doll—a little girl doll with dark hair like her own and a porcelain face. The droid continued to beep and whirr as she played with him.

She then heard a crisp, proper voice say, "Artoo-Deetoo. Stop playing with Rey. It is time for her nap."

Artoo beeped something snotty at the golden protocol droid and spun his head in derision. Rey giggled.

The golden droid continued, "Now, you stop that. Rey is going to pick up your bad attitude."

Little Rey spoke, "Oh, Threepio, I'm not even tired a little bit. Please let me play a few minutes longer."

Another voice was heard from the hallway, it was a smooth female voice filled with warmth yet firmness. "Rey, obey Threepio." Her mother walked into her room while saying, "Nap time, and then you can play with Artoo some more later."

"But what if Uncle Luke leaves while I'm sleeping?" asked Rey.

"He won't," promised her mother. Rey saw her face again—abruptly waking from her dream, crying this time in sorrow.

The little droid was next to her bunk, murmuring beeps of compassion. "I'm all right. Just some bad dreams." The droid beeped a question. "Dreams of things that might have been, that never will be."

* * *

She fell back asleep, hoping her sleep would be undisturbed. At this rate, she figured she would not have any rest at all. This time she dreamt of an ocean. This was a dream she had experienced many nights before, and it was the most disturbing of them all. Nothing but ocean and ocean and ocean. How she even knew what an ocean looked like, she had no clue. But she knew it was an ocean. And then, as she flew over the ocean, maneuvering the freighter's controls, she saw it—the island. The island that called to her. The island with the steps. The island with the old man. The old man with the compassionate eyes, eyes filled with tears. The man who loved her. And as always she woke before he said anything to her.

* * *

Her last dream was finally something she could handle—she was flying, flying the X-Wing again that she had sold to Unkar. Taking it up across the desert sky and sending it into spins and turns, dives and ascents. As she landed the craft in her dream, she changed from being in an X-Wing cockpit to a freighter cockpit. It looked like the YT-1300 freighter cockpit from her flight simulator. As she reached over to prime the fuel pump that should not be there—

* * *

The little droid rolled himself at her bunk, running into it, beeping madly. Rey rolled over, covering her ears with her blanket, hoping to be able to go back to sleep and enjoy her dream of flying. All of a sudden, the droid stripped her blanket off and poked her with one of his appendages. She sat up and growled at the little guy. "Do you mind? I was finally dreaming something nice!" moaned Rey. She stared at him, but he just ignored her, constantly hitting her bunk.

Rey gave in and got up. After breakfast, she would take that droid into town and give it back to his master. But she had not food for breakfast, she remembered dejectedly. At least tonight she would get a good night's sleep!


	34. Chapter 34--The Garbage Will Do

**CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR**

Rey dropped the spherical droid to the sand from the top of her speeder. His heavy weight spread sand everywhere. She encouraged, "Don't give up. He still might show up. Whoever it is you're waiting for. Classified. I know all about waiting."

The droid beeped a question. Rey answered, "For my family. They'll be back. One day. Come on." Rey knew one day they were coming back, and she could not wait to see her mother stepping down the ramp of the ship to reclaim her. She had often daydreamed of it happening right here at the outpost. She shook her head to bring herself back to reality and trading with Unkar. The little droid followed her, too.

* * *

Rey lifted her goods onto the counter. In recent months, Unkar had become more and more stingy with his goods. Rey was not sure if the First Order was taxing him or if he was planning something. She only knew that it took more and more salvage to just survive on this rock. She hated Unkar, but he was a necessary evil. Without him, many would die here.

Over the last year, whatever compassion Unkar had for Rey had disappeared. He occasionally looked around furtively when she traded with him, wondering if there would be retribution for his actions, but he always smiled with relief when his transactions with her were over. Rey could only think it had to do with whatever weird religion Unkar practiced. He was constantly talking about a ghost named Vader. _He must worship him or something,_ thought Rey. _But what an odd religion where you're always looking for your god to punish you._

Unkar took a piece in his hand and mentioned, "These five pieces are worth . . . Let me see here . . . One half portion."

Rey objected, "Last week they were a half portion each." She glared at him, angry, wishing she could reach through those bars and choke him, but his henchmen would stop her if she even tried.

Unkar grinned as he swindled her. He took inordinate pleasure in getting the best of this troublesome scavenger. But he was not finished yet. The real transaction of the day was that droid. Unkar leaned forward, looking at the droid. "What about the droid?"

Rey asked nonchalantly, "What about him?"

"I'll pay for him."

The droid beeped in fear. Rey considered the offer; there was no doubt she needed the rations and the water.

"Sixty portions," offered Unkar.

Rey was stunned, her stomach rumbling at the amount of food this would represent. She could start her get-off-this-rock fund again; she could go to bed full and not hungry like most nights; she could take a day off from scavenging.

Her thoughts were interrupted by the droid beeping. He appeared distressed at this situation. Rey looked at Unkar and then back to the droid. She remembered being a slave to Unkar, but the hunger pangs were just as real as those memories. Rey, about to give in, heard the man's voice again. "Rey, you can't. The droid needs you. You can't sell him to Unkar."

Rey took a deep breath, knowing that the man was right, also knowing she would wake up hungry tomorrow, just as hungry as she was now. The droid looked at her again, moving his head from side-to-side, pleading with her. Rey turned back to Unkar and announced, "Actually . . . the droid's not for sale." She turned from Unkar taking her half portion with her and said to the droid, "Come on."

As she left the booth, Unkar furiously picked up a communicator and ordered into it, "Follow the girl and get that droid." His security barrier slid up, covering the window as Unkar departed.

* * *

Rey crossed the marketplace with the small droid following behind her. She stopped and kneeled, "No, you can't follow me. I'm not your master."

The droid beeped some more and rolled closer to her. "I don't know who he is. You look for him." The droid beeped one more question.

As Rey started to answer, two of Unkar's thugs came up to Rey. One with a gauze head wrap told her in Huttese that they were taking the droid as the other threw a net over the sphere.

Rey stood and yelled, "What?! Oi! Get off him!" She kicked the kneeling man in the chest, sending him flying.

The man who spoke grabbed her from behind. Rey kicked and bit down on his arm, breaking the skin. The man yelled in pain. The second man was back up again and hit Rey with his fist. Rey pulled back in pain.

Rey attacked him with her staff. A low hit to the leg and a high hit to the face. The first man was up again and grabbed her from behind once more. Rey kicked the second man, pulled out of the grasp of the first man, spun around and swung her staff at the second man. Her staff hit him squarely in the face, sending him down to the sand with a grunt.

The droid beeped insistently as Rey checked that the thugs were truly incapacitated. The droid continued to beep as Rey kneeled down and removed the net from the droid. The droid continued to beep, getting more insistent by the second.

Rey asked, "Who?" as she looked at the new stranger wearing black pants and shirt and a brown leather jacket with red markings. The stranger had dark curly hair and dark skin and stared at Rey and the droid from a few booths away. The droid became more insistent with his beeps. Rey looked at him again and asked, "Him?"

She grabbed her staff and ran at the new man, another target looking for that droid! The man turned and ran away from Rey, but she knew a shortcut around the bazaar and was quicker on her feet. She quickly ran ahead of him and cut him off at the end of the booths.

As he came around the corner, she hit him in the face with the tip of her staff, sending him to the ground. She pointed her staff at his chest as he groaned in pain. Rey asked, "What's your hurry, Thief?"

The man asked from his supine position on the sand, "What? Thief?"

The droid took out his electronic zapper and attacked the man's leg with an electrical charge. The man yelled in pain. He asked, "Hey! What?"

Rey informed, "The jacket. This droid says you stole it!" Rey could not believe how this day was going! First Unkar and his thugs and now this guy, and he would not shut up.

"I've had a pretty messed up day, all right? So I'd appreciate it if you stop accusing me . . . Oww! Stop it!" the droid zapped him again.

Rey interrogated, "Where'd you get it? It belongs to his master."

The man looked back and forth from Rey to the droid, something finally making sense to him. "It belonged to Poe Dameron. That was his name, right?"

The droid's head moved to Rey and then back to the man, shocked. "He was captured by the First Order. I helped him escape, but our ship crashed," the man explained. He looked directly at the droid as he delivered the bad news, "Poe didn't make it."

The little droid bowed his head in dejection and mourning, making a small, sad sound.

The man continued, "I tried to help him. I'm sorry."

The droid rolled off behind Rey, not knowing what to do next. Rey watched the little guy leave her, wondering how she could comfort a droid. She turned back to the man and asked, "So you're with the Resistance?"

The man looked at her and gained hope in his expression. "Obviously," he replied, standing up. "Yes, I am. I'm with the Resistance, yeah." He whispered emphatically, "I am with the Resistance."

 _The Resistance!_ Rey had only heard rumors of it during the past year. As the First Order moved in to tax the planet and regulate shipping, the freighter pilots whispered of an uprising—this Resistance. It sounded like something she would join one day—anything to take down all forms of slavery, including the First Order. Rey smiled, taken with this man, and admitted, "I've never met a Resistance fighter before."

The man replied, "Well, this is what we look like." He became nervous and chattered, "Some of us. Others look different."

Rey turned back to the droid and informed, "BB-8 says he's on a secret mission, he has to get back to your base."

The man replied, "Apparently he's carrying a map that leads to Luke Skywalker, and everyone's after it."

Rey jumped at that name. She had heard it before, but it was like something out of a dream, not quite tangible. "Luke Skywalker? I thought he was a myth."

BB-8 beeped quickly and fiercely as he saw something that concerned him. Rey asked him, "What is it?" as she moved to him and peeked around the tent corner.

The man looked in the same direction and recognized two stormtroopers talking to Unkar's thugs. They pointed the way to Rey and the man. The man grabbed Rey's hand and ran for the tents.

Rey yelled, "What are you doing?!"

The man replied, "Come on!"

Blaster bolts barely missed them as they ran, the bolts hitting merchandise and splattering the goods everywhere. Rey screamed as they ran further into the bazaar. As they zigzagged through the maze of tents, the man yelled, "Come on, BB-8!"

Rey insisted, "Let go of me!"

The man replied, "No, we gotta move!"

They ran at top speed through the center of the bazaar, zig-zagging to avoid the blaster shots. Pieces of pottery and glass ricocheted as particle bolts hit them.

Rey pulled her hand back and informed, "I know how to run without you holding my hand! BB-8 stay close! This way!" Rey led them to the right side of the bazaar, finding a booth to hide in.

Rey accused as they hid in the dusty merchant booth, "They're shooting at both of us!" She was scared. She had never been shot at before. But her adrenaline was racing, and her preservation instinct was overcoming her fear.

The man agreed, "Yeah, they saw you with me! You're marked!

"Well, thanks for that!" argued Rey.

"Hey! I'm not the one who chased you down with a stick!" The man searched through the wares, tossing some to the ground as he looked, desperate. "Does anyone have blasters around here?!"

Rey looked at BB-8 and asked, "Are you okay?" BB-8 continued chirping at her and shaking his head, scared.

The man hushed BB-8, heard something screaming in the air above them, and ran over to both Rey and BB-8. Kneeling down beside them, he grabbed both of them. He grabbed Rey's hand and ran out of the booth.

Rey yelled, "Stop taking my hand!"

Two TIE Fighters zoomed in at low level, shooting at the couple. A shot sent them both flying three meters away into the sand, knocking the wind out of them and setting their ears to ringing.

BB-8 rolled out of the explosion to the couple. The people in the bazaar ran away, screaming as the TIE fighters came around for another pass.

Rey watched as they zoomed around the bazaar, and then she saw the man unconscious a few meters away from her. She crawled over to him and shook him, yelling, "Hey!"

He woke, grunting. Sitting up as the TIEs came around for another pass, he asked, "Are you okay?"

Rey looked at him in shock. This was the first time she could ever remember anyone asking if she were okay. She was at once touched and confused. She shook her head while responding, "Yeah." She held out her left arm to him, which he grabbed, and instructed, "Follow me!"

The TIEs were back, blasting the bazaar to bits. Large fire balls spurred Rey and the man on through the outpost. Rey quickly overtook the man as they ran, passing Niima arch, heading for the landing strip where two ships sat. One was a red quadjumper in excellent condition, about 100 meters away. The other was the beat-up freighter, tethered and camouflaged, and probably still in pieces like the last time Rey was on board her.

The man yelled, "We can't outrun them!"

"We might! In that quadjumper!" shouted Rey, pointing at the classy ship.

"Hey! We need a pilot!" shouted the man.

Rey gestured with her arm as she ran, "We've got one."

"You?" asked the man in disbelief. He saw the freighter out of his eye and pointed to it while asking, "Uh, what about that ship?"

Rey looked over at it quickly and announced, "That one's garbage!"

Another TIE fighter flew over their heads and fired at the quadjumper. It exploded into a gigantic fireball when they were no more than thirty meters away. The force of the blast caused all three to stop in their tracks and cover their eyes. Their ears were ringing.

Rey looked at their last hope, gone in a ball of fire. She quickly announced, "The garbage will do."

Rey turned and ran toward the extended ramp of the freighter. She only hoped they had gotten the sublight drives back together properly. And a part of her felt like she had done this before, but maybe it was all a dream.


	35. Chapter 35--Are We Really Doing This

**Thanks to Palermoj again for some great suggestions on how to improve this chapter!**

* * *

 **CHAPTER THIRTY-FIVE**

After the man, Rey, and the droid entered the ship, Rey hit a control and the hatch descended quickly. She raced to the right toward the cockpit, yelling at the man, "Gunner position's down there!"

While the man climbed down the ladder to the belly turret, he asked, "You ever fly this thing?"

As Rey climbed into the pilot's seat, she yelled, "No! This ship hasn't flown in years!"

The man remarked, "Great!" As the gunner's seat swiveled back-and-forth, he commented, "Whoa! I can do this, I can do this—" He adjusted the display.

Rey echoed to herself as she started the ignition sequence, flipping switches, "I can do this, I can do this—"

The old freighter lifted off as Rey punched buttons on the control panel. The tethers held her back, as the camouflage netting flew away. The ship bounced back on the ground hard and then tilted to starboard as it lifted off again. Rey yelled as the ship took some damage! She wondered if she would survive this launch, let alone this day. This is not how she thought this day was going to go.

The ship crashed back down on its starboard side, sliding across the landing strip toward Niima Outpost bazaar, or what was left of it. _Come on, Baby! Hold together!_ thought Rey as she instinctively adjusted the controls. _How did I get out of that one? Ahh, thruster up, wheel right, no left!_ The forward mandibles took out the top of Niima arch before straightening out and bouncing again, just missing Unkar as he came out of his booth waving his hands in anger.

At last, Rey was able to launch the ship into the atmosphere. _Wow! This is nothing like the flight simulator! Those engines—they take your breath away! I think we can outrun them!_ As she climbed into the troposphere, her companion yelled, "Wait, stay low! Stay low!"

He grabbed the headset as Rey yelled back, "What?" She had just gotten this bucket-of-bolts off the ground; there was no way she was taking it back down again and in range of those TIE fighters.

The man explained over the headset, "Stay low! It confuses their tracking."

 _Well, that makes sense_ , thought Rey. Rey yelled back to the droid, "BB-8, hold on!" The droid tilted his cranium at her and questioned with a moan. "I'm going low." Rey pulled the freighter into an inverted dive, thrusters streaming white trails of exhaust. She pulled up within meters of the sand.

Two TIE fighters came in on her port side. Rey ducked instinctively as she maneuvered away from their blasts. BB-8 rolled around as she flipped the craft in evasive maneuvers. The TIE fighters zoomed around in a spiral dive, firing at the rear of the freighter this time.

Rey zigged and zagged again, but a blast hit the belly of the freighter. Rey yelled at the man as she tried to evade the fighters, "What are you doing back there?! Are you ever going to fire back?!"

The man retorted, "I'm working on it! Are the shields up?"

Rey stretched over to the co-pilot's position with her right arm while her left hand held the wheel steady, "Not so easy without a co-pilot!"

The man remarked, "Try sitting in this thing!"

She was able to turn on the shields and bring the freighter up barely in time to miss crashing into the sand. _I've missed flying, but I'm not quite sure this is how I envisioned my next flight._ The man fired the antique laser cannons at the fighters, but they evaded his red blasts quickly. One of the fighters hit the shields squarely.

The man flinched at the blast and yelled, "We need cover, quick!"

Rey yelled back as she piloted the ship across the desert, "We're about to get some!" She whispered to herself, "I hope." As she banked the freighter right, the hull creaked. She instinctively knew to bank it again to the left as the TIE fighters shot under the belly. She could feel, almost see them shoot.

She turned to the right, flying under the remaining hull of a cruiser, coming up on the port side of the Star Destroyer _Inflictor_. She raced past it to the aft and pulled on the levers to climb to a higher elevation. The motion caused BB-8 to circle the passageway yet again until he sent out his cables and magnets to stabilize himself.

Rey turned the freighter sideways, passing through a narrow channel of wreckage, the TIE fighters still on their tail. The man fired the cannon yet again, still missing. Rey dropped down into a valley, making everyone lose their equilibrium. The TIES followed, not giving up an inch of their pursuit. A shot hit the top of the freighter, causing smoke to stream out of the hull.

Rey continued to fly at full speed, bouncing off the sand dune as she came in close to the hull of the _Inflictor_. Rey pulled the levers again and banked hard left just before they would crash into the star destroyer. One TIE banked right, but the other stayed on her tail through the turn. Rey climbed again a few hundred meters up, as the TIE fired from behind. The TIE came into the sights of the canon. The man yelled, "Come on! Come on!" and then shot at its solar panel.

The TIE spun off into the desert floor as Rey yelled back, "Nice shot!"

The man commented to himself, "I'm getting pretty good at this!"

Rey thought, _Oh, brother! Get the next one instead of patting yourself on the back! It's not over yet!_

The other TIE was upon them now, shooting from behind. Rey continued to jink the freighter left and right, avoiding the blasts. The TIE hit the quad cannon, leaving it hanging perpendicular from the hull.

The man tried to raise the cannon with the gun controls, but they were stuck. He announced, "Uh, the cannon's stuck in forward position. I can't move it. You gotta lose him."

Rey breathed heavier, afraid it would only take one more blast for the fighter to finish them for good. Then she looked ahead and saw the remaining thruster of the _Inflictor_. The engine had long ago been scavenged, but she knew the tunnel well. She could lead the fighter into the tunnel and bail out, halfway through. If she were lucky, the TIE would not be able to respond in time. Flying at this speed would require super-sharp reflexes. Rey slowed her breathing, envisioning the tunnel before she got there, knowing what she had to do.

Rey reached above and hit some more switches as the TIE fighter pursued them. She banked left and flew high, coming down in a Split-S to enter the thruster tube of the _Inflictor_. The TIE fighter was still on her tail, firing.

Once they entered the ship, there was not a lot of room to maneuver. Rey thought to herself, _This was a mistake!_ _I can't evade him in here!_

The man interjected, "Are we really doing this?!"

Rey ignored him. The last thing she needed right now was any distractions. She felt the TIE fighter about to fire and pulled her ship to the left to avoid a blaster bolt as well as a crossbeam on the ship. She pulled to the right and then banked left as she raced down the tube, avoiding the superstructure. She banked again just in time to avoid another blast of green. The blast hit the bulkhead of the star destroyer, creating a fire ball. Rey flew right through the fire ball, her shields getting cooked on the way through.

Rey grunted as she flew at her top ability, moving left-and-right to avoid the obstacles in the tunnel as well as the blaster bolts from behind. She remarked, "Oh, no," as she saw the end of the tunnel ahead. The TIE continued to fire, gaining distance on her.

Just as the TIE had gunlock on her, Rey had reached her mark. She banked hard right and came into an inverted pitchback, putting the freighter into perfect firing position. The man's shots hit their target, and Rey pushed on the levers, sending the freighter screaming across the graveyard and blasting into space. _How in the world did I do that? I thought we were cooked for sure!_ thought Rey.

The man screamed, "Whoa!"

 _We survived! We survived . . ._ Rey looked out the cockpit at the blackness of space with the stars winking at her. _Oh, no! We're in space! I've got to get back to Jakku!_


	36. Chapter 36--Tractor Beam

**CHAPTER THIRTY-SIX**

 **Author's note: Upon the advice of MoldyCrow (guest user/reviewer), I have rewritten the story from this point forward. S/he brought to light many things I was had a bad feeling about myself.**

 **If you read the review, you will see a suggestion to change the problems with TFA. I'm not going to do that, although I know many problems exist. My goal was to write this story in accordance to canon. My mistake was keeping the telling of my story strictly to the script.**

 **Now, I have rewritten this chapter, giving us Rey's internal thoughts throughout the scenes without most of the dialogue or even descriptions of what is happening. Because of that, a familiarity with TFA is required from this point forward. If you do, you should be able to tell what is going on from her inner dialogue.**

 **I don't usually ask for reviews, but now, as I post this chapter again, I ask for the reader's response to the rewrite—especially if you read it in its first incarnation. In response to a reviewer, I've added a little bit more dialogue in to clarify the parts of the scene as of 8-25-16 6:00 a.m. PDT.**

* * *

 _Finn. So his name is Finn. Strange, he doesn't have a surname. Well, neither do I. And he can shoot well, even if he was cocky! And I can't believe that I was able to fly this piece of junk out of the atmosphere! I can't believe she held toge—_

But her thoughts were interrupted when a pipe burst behind them in the engine compartment. _Rey yelled, "Help me with this! Quick!"_ as she ran to the broken equipment. _I knew this ship wasn't safe. How badly did they put that sublight engine back together the last time it was torn apart? I hope we can fix this, or we might just die out here together, stranded in space, just drifting, thought Rey. It would have been better to be blown to bits than to starve or suffocate._

After Finn helped her lift the heavy grating from the engine compartment, Rey climbed into the compartment, the steam burning her face as she inspected the damage. A hose had burst on the motivator. Without it, the hyperdrive would overheat, and toxic gas would spew everywhere.

Instruments beeped all at once, warning her of the toxic fumes and rising temperature in the hyperdrive. Rey yelled for a Harris wrench, having to give specific directions to Finn. _He obviously is not mechanical. It's a wonder he can shoot, thought Rey. It would be faster if I hopped out of this pit and grabbed the tools myself! . . . We're about to die! Stop whining about the First Order right now! Just bring the whole tool chest over, you idiot!_ Then it hit her. If they did get this fixed, where would they go? Her eyes settled on BB-8. _The droid. I have to take care of the droid and get him back to the Resistance. But where?_

Rey popped her head up again and said, "BB-8 said the location of the Resistance Base is 'need to know.' If I'm taking you there, I need to know!"

Finn finally found the Harris wrench and threw it at Rey, who caught it deftly with her right hand. Rey could not believe his lack of knowledge of basic tools.

While Rey headed down into the belly of the engine compartment, steam burned her forehead. The hose was not only burst, but the clamp had come off as well. She was going to have to take off the motivator housing in order to reach the clamp.

Rey popped up again asking, "Pilex driver, hurry!" As Finn crawled back to the tool kit, Rey asked, "So, where's your base?"

After Finn finally convinced BB-8 to tell her the system, another venting began on the joint where the hose met the pipe. She popped back up and ordered, "I need the binding tape, hurry!" Again, he had no clue! _Really, electrical tape would not hold up in this heat. Neither would masking. Doesn't even know what binding tape is?! I might as well do everything myself! Men!_ thought Rey in frustration. _He finally threw it to her, just in time for Rey to repair the breach._

Through her concentration, Rey caught a barrage of his questions, "Why go back? You got a family? You got a boyfriend? A cute boyfriend?"

 _Great, now he's hitting on me! I don't need a boyfriend, you barmpot. I just want to get back to Jakku, which you keep insulting. A hot, dusty rock or not—it is my home! Stop disrespecting it and me,_ thought Rey, fed up with this guy. _Let me just get the droid back to the Resistance and me back to Jakku. That's all I want. Is it that too much to ask? I never wanted to leave there, at least not like this._

And then she heard it. That voice again. "Peace. Forget Jakku and look to your future, Rey."

Before she could respond to the voice, the lights flickered, and the engines wound down. A gigantic clunk was heard, and she knew they were in bigger trouble than before. _Now we have no power! Everything is checking out as normal down here. Must be something else,_ Rey thought as she climbed out of the compartment and ran to the cockpit. Finn followed her, climbing into the co-pilot's seat.

Rey flicked switches, desperately trying to start the ship up again. She started to hyperventilate as she realized they were drifting once again—no, not drifting. _Great! We're in a tractor beam. Is it Unkar and his pirates or the First Order?_

A large clank was heard above them, beyond the view of the cockpit canopy. Finn and Rey looked up, trying to view anything above them. They looked at each other in realization that things just went from bad to worse.

Finn climbed on top of the console to peer out the canopy. He shoved his hand on top of her head, trying to steady himself.

Rey shoved his hand off, ordering, "Get off! Get off!"

Finn grabbed onto the canopy supports and looked out the viewport. He saw something big—black with red lights illuminating the landing bay. He started breathing quickly in fear.

Rey asked, "See anything?"

Finn replied, "Oh, no," as the freighter was drawn into the larger ship. Finn collapsed in the co-pilot's seat and revealed, "It's the First Order."

Rey started looking around the cockpit and asked, "What do we do? There must be something."

Finn looked at her directly and stated, "You said poisonous gas."

Rey looked back at him, thinking he was losing it, "I fixed that."

Finn asked, "Can you unfix it?"

 _Brilliant idea! I wonder if these breathing masks were to designed to filter out toxins or just provide oxygen in space? It doesn't seem to fit well,_ thought Rey as they headed back to the engine pit. _Figures his only idea is breaking what I just fixed._

Rey started hyperventilating again as the reality of their predicament crashed down on her. Rey jumped into the pit and dragged the heavy deck plate back into position over their heads. Finn was yelling something at the droid, and droid was giving it back to him.

A dull thud was heard outside the ship. Rey knelt down and worked on the pipe again. She asked, "Do you think this will work on the stormtroopers?"

Finn responded without thinking, "Yeah. Their masks filter out smoke, not toxins."

 _He doesn't know a Harris wrench from a Pilex driver, but he knows something like that? Where has he been all of his life? Under a rock? And he insults Jakku!_

Finn stood up and lifted the deck plate, to peer out at the rest of the cabin. More sounds were heard as their captors approached. It sounded like the loading ramp was lowering. Then there were quick footsteps.

Finn urged, "Hurry!"

 _Like he has to tell me that! Goodness! What does he think I'm doing, twiddling my thumbs?_ thought Rey as she worked on loosening the housing so she could get to the clamp. She really did not want to undo that binding tape, as removal of it might disintegrate what was left of the old hose.

Metal whirred as Finn kept his eyes glued to the main hatch. He dropped the grate back down just as the hatch opened.

* * *

Ani looked on. The day had finally arrived. Rey had escaped Jakku. There was no turning back. She had escaped as he had seen it so many years ago, and on the Falcon. She had escaped in her ship! And her family had come back for her.

Ani could see his son-in-law standing in the landing bay, gazing in love at the old ship—his eyes filled with tears, and his Wookiee partner just as emotional. Ani just wished that the smuggler would love his family as much as he loved this ship. If so, Ben might be saved.


	37. Chapter 37--Twelve Parsecs

**CHAPTER THIRTY-SEVEN (REWRITTEN 8/24/16)**

 **Author's note: Chapter 36 was rewritten on 8/23/16. Please read the author's notes and that chapter first. In response to a recent reviewer, more dialogue has been added to clarify the parts of the scene as of 8/25/16 at 6:00 a.m. PDT.**

* * *

The whoosh of the main hatch opening emanated into the hold. Rey tried to slow her breathing, while still trying to undo the repair to the hose. While she tensely waited, she heard a loud voice say, "Rey, you can trust him. He's here for you." Rey quickly looked back at Finn to see if he had said it, but he obviously had not heard the voice, let alone said anything.

She was still trying to remove the housing unit to loosen the clamp when she heard a baritone voice say with joy and satisfied longing, "Chewie . . . we're home."

Rey jumped when the Wookiee growled in response. She understood him. _I not only understand him, but I recognize that Wookiee's voice. I wonder if this is one of the Wookiees that used to come to Jakku years ago . . . maybe that's why they're in system. Well, one thing's certain, if he's a Wookiee, it's not the First Order._

Rey glanced up quickly, seeing the gigantic Wookiee looking over the wiring above the corridor and a spacer holding a blaster. She gasped in surprise, dropping the Pilex driver, as she felt something she had never felt before—a connection with this spacer. Although she had never met him before, she felt she knew him—there was something that pulled her to him. It was all she could do not to jump out of the hold and tell him who she was. _But then what? He'd think I was crazy. Probably shoot me with that blaster,_ thought Rey cynically.

She pictured in her mind what he must have looked like thirty years ago—tall, dark hair, muscular, cocky, with a smirk. _He must have been quite the ladies' man,_ Rey thought.

The man nodded and the Wookiee lifted off the compartment grate. All of a sudden, everything Rey was feeling was replaced with fear. This was not any of the Wookiees she remembered from Jakku, and this one looked like he would tear her arms out of their sockets without a second thought. Rey leaned back, scared, as the man with the blaster interrogated them.

The man asked, "Where are the others?" Neither answered. "Where's the pilot?"

Rey answered before the man could finish the question, "I'm the pilot!"

"You?" asked the man in disbelief.

The Wookiee roared, "Yeah, right."

Rey wondered, _Is this man such a nerf-herder that he can't believe girls can be pilots? Really, how else do you think we got here? Finn? Not likely._ "No, it's true: we're the only ones on board," declared Rey.

Finn asked Rey in disbelief, "You can understand that thing?"

The man replied, not thrilled by Finn's response, "And 'that thing' can understand you too, so watch it. Come on outta there," he commanded, gesturing with his blaster.

After climbing out of the hold, the interrogation continued. "Where'd you get this ship?"

Rey answered quickly, "Niima Outpost."

The older man replied in shock, "Jakku?! That junkyard?"

 _It's a wonder this guy has any friends, the way he insults my home right off the bat! Wonder who was the unlucky woman who married him_ , thought Rey. She barely heard what he was saying until he said,

Finn smirked and teased Rey, "Thank you! Junkyard!"

". . . Well, you tell him Han Solo just stole back the _Millennium Falcon_ for good!" announced the man as he walked toward the cockpit.

 _The Millennium Falcon?!_ _I stole the fastest ship in the galaxy?!_ _He's Han Solo, the most notorious smuggler of all time? The guy who out-bargained Unkar multiple times. No wonder Unkar stole this ship. It was not about this ship working again. It was about revenge!_ thought Rey.

"This is the _Millennium Falcon_? You're Han Solo?" She could not help smiling at the man as he turned back to her, her eyes brimming in joy.

"I used to be," replied Han, turning back toward the cockpit while holstering his blaster.

Rey watched as he strode off to the cockpit, wanting to go with him. Something was pulling at her, pulling her to him. And she could not get that voice out of her head—she was supposed to trust him, this smuggler! But she could not avoid that pull toward him, either. The feeling overwhelmed her and drew her into an intimacy with this man that she had never felt before, except maybe with that young man in her dreams. It was like something clicked when she met both, something right, something undeniably familiar.

Finn mentioned something about this man being a Rebellion general. _But that can't be true. Han Solo the smuggler was never that responsible, at least not according to Unkar and his thugs. But the Wookiee did not deny it when Finn asked him. Can they be the same man?_ _Is that why I should trust him?_

Rey yelled down the corridor, "This is the ship that made the Kessel Run in fourteen parsecs!"

Han yelled back, "Twelve!" He mumbled something Rey could not make out before returning to the main hold and complaining about the compressor on the ignition line.

Rey quickly supplied, "Unkar Plutt did. I thought it was a mistake too, puts too much—

Han finished the sentence with her in unison, "—stress on the hyperdrive."

 _That connection again . . . it's like we're reading each other's minds—no, maybe that our minds work in the same way? I'm not sure I like that, but somehow it feels normal_ , thought Rey. Then she realized he was going to dump her and Finn on a planet. _No, what about BB-8? He has to get to the Resistance base._

Rey chased after him, pleading, "Wait! No— we need your help! . . . This droid has to get to the Resistance base as soon as possible!"

When Finn mentioned Luke Skywalker, Han stopped in his tracks, not turning his head, but Rey could almost read every single thought. She could feel his emotions, emotions of regret, of bitterness, of intense love for this mysterious man. He knew him. Rey could tell he knew him like most people do not know others. These two had a history together, probably the Rebellion. But it seemed like the largest emotion she felt was guilt. _What would Han Solo, the most notorious smuggler in the galaxy, be guilty about? Everyone says he has no feelings, that he's ruthless and callous. But if that were true, he would have killed us already, instead of wasting a life pod to drop us on a planet. Maybe there is more to this smuggler than anyone has ever known—except maybe Skywalker. Luke Skywalker surely knows the real Solo, not this façade of a smuggler._

A dull thunk interrupted her thoughts as Han was admitting to knowing Skywalker. They all looked up at the corridor in fear.

Han said, "Don't tell me a rathtar's gotten loose—" as he ran through the corridor and off the freighter. Finn, Rey, and Chewie followed him.


	38. Chapter 38--Rathtars

**CHAPTER THIRTY-EIGHT (REWRITTEN AS OF 8/25/16)**

 **Author's note: Chapters 36-38 have been rewritten in the last few days. Please read the author's notes in Chapter 36 first.**

* * *

Finn chased after Han down the ramp and yelled, "Wait—a what?! Did you just say rathtars? Hey!"

 _What in the universe are rathtars? By the look of the fear in Finn's eyes, they can't be good. I think this day has just gone from bad to worse,_ thought Rey.

Han punched a few keys on the control panel, which held nine security screens of the ship. Three of the screens brought up different views of the exterior of the _Eravana_ where a freighter was docking. Han motioned to the screen, with his hand, upset. "Oh great. It's the Guavian Death Gang—they must've tracked us from Nantoon."

Rey took it all in. _This is getting worse by the minute_. _I should have stayed on Jakku. At least there I could handle myself. I didn't even bring my staff with me when we left the Falcon!_

Chewie growled, upset. Han raced down the corridors to a long, narrow passageway in the middle of the freighter. Bulkheads, pipes, and cabling were exposed. Grating served for decking. Large metal posts for supports. This was a working ship, with no money spent on cosmetics. Cargo containers were stack to the overhead, lining the passageway.

Chewie opened a hatch in the middle of the passageway, the hydraulic lifters whooshing as it opened. Han pointed to the hatch and ordered, "Get below deck and stay there until I say so—don't even think about taking the _Falcon_."

Rey asked, "What are you gonna do?"

Han replied as Finn and Rey climbed below decks through the hatch, "Same thing I always do: talk my way out of it."

Chewie growled, "Right. You _try_ to, but it never actually works out the way you expected."

Han retorted, pointing at Chewie, "Yes, I do. Every time."

A man with a strange accent challenged Han. The cocky man bluffed his way through the conversation until another hatch opened at the end of the corridor, revealing yet another gang. _Is there anyone in this galaxy this man hasn't swindled?_ thought Rey. _I've got to do something, or Han's dead, Chewie's dead, we're dead, and the First Order gets the droid! Think, Rey, think! This is not unlike all those ships you took apart. What can you do? You can't let Tasu Leech and his gang take you! You know what happened the last time you ran into them._

Rey and Finn crawled to the other end of the crawlspace as Tasu Leach continued the unintelligible words. Tasu Leech added something unintelligible to the conversation that upset Han. BB-8 poked his head out from behind Han to view the two gangs.

* * *

Bala-Tik, recognizing BB-8, stated, "That BB unit... the First Order is looking for one just like it." Chewie moaned, and BB-8 rolled back behind Han, tilting his cranium sideways to still see Bala-Tik. "And two fugitives."

Finn and Rey suddenly stopped in unison underneath the deck. They looked at each other, worried.

Han continued to bluff, "First I've heard of it."

Below the grating, Finn and Rey look at each other, afraid. Finn and Rey start hyperventilating in a panic. They crawled quickly in the opposite direction, ending up directly under Han and Chewie. There is a junction box here. Rey examined it carefully, deciding it was a fuse box for those blast doors.

Rey whispered to Finn, "Wait! wait! wait! wait! If we close the blast doors in that corridor, we can trap both gangs!

Finn asked, unsure, "Close the blast doors from here?"

Rey explained, "Resetting the fuses should do it." Rey pushed the four fuses, causing sparks to fly from them. They heard the hatches moving with groans and squeaks . . . and growls. Then they heard something stick to the decking with force. Rey looked up, seeing long tentacles stretching through the corridor. The lights dimmed. _Uh, oh. That wasn't the fuse box for the main hatches!_ thought Rey.

All of sudden the absolute worst noise Rey has ever heard screamed across the deck before the crunch of bones was heard. Chaos broke out above them as the rathtars attacked both the Guavian Death Gang and Kanjiklub.

Rey and Finn crawled quickly to the next floor hatch and popped up through it. Rey looked one way while Finn looked the other, making sure there were no Rathtars or gangsters in sight. Rey motioned for Finn to jump down so she would have room to get out of the hatch, and then Finn followed her. They both ran down the corridors, trying to get back to the _Falcon_.

When they turned the next corner, they came face-to-face with a Kanjiklubber being ravished by a rathtar only ten meters away. Rey covered her mouth, afraid she was going to spew.

Finn yanked her away and raced around another corner, straight into another rathtar. Finn yelled, "This way!" He directed her to another corridor, away from the rathtar.

Rey asked, "Are you sure?" She had a feeling that this was the wrong way. Something was waiting for them.

As they ran, Finn is grabbed by a tentacle and pulled backward. He screamed, "No! No! No!"

Rey turned around and ran toward Finn, trying to save him as the creature dragged him away. "Finn!"

As the creature pulled him into another corridor, Finn yelled, "Rey!"

When Rey caught up, a tentacle whipped out at her. She barely avoided it by jumping back, screaming. _I take it back! I take back everything I thought about him! Please, whoever is out there, don't let him die this way! Please!_ thought Rey.

Finn continued to yell, "Get off! Get off!"

Rey ran down the corridor, stopping at an X intersection. She listened for any sign of Finn, and then she heard him, directly ahead.

Rey yelled, "FINN!" as she ran toward his voice. _What's going to happen to him? Is that it? I meet him and lose him the same day?_ Thoughts raced through her head as she raced through the corridor. And then she heard, "Stop!" This time it was not her own voice, but she did not have time to figure out whose voice it was. She just knew she had to stop.

"The control panel," the voice insisted. She looked around, but she could not see anyone. Quickly, she moved to the console and watched the screens, as Finn was dragged by the rathtar. Rey quickly punched a code in, preparing the hatch mechanism. She held her hand over the switch, waiting for just the right moment. She knew she would not get another chance. Finn's life would be over if she did this wrong. She stared intently on the screen, slowing her breathing. And then she heard the voice again. In the near quiet of the corridor, she thought she recognized it from her dreams. "Use the Force, Rey." That was it. Rey did not have time to ponder his words, so she closed her eyes and visualized with her inner eye, waiting for the exact moment.

Finn's voice echoed over the monitor, "Rey!"

Bam! She hit the button with all of her might, slamming a blast door shut on the rathtar. The rathtar screamed in pain, its severed tentacles still wrapped around Finn. He stood, pulling them off, screaming, "Get off! Uhh! Ahh!"

Rey ran to Finn, beaming to see him alive. _Thank you! Thank you! Thank the Force!_ His adrenaline pumped through his body, still unsure that he was still alive. _But what is the Force? And how did I know what to do?_ thought Rey for a brief second before reuniting her friend, "Finn!"

Finn moaned, "It had me! But the door—!"

Rey replied, "That was lucky!"

Rey led Finn through the corridors and break-neck speed, racing toward the _Falcon_. That old freighter was their only hope of escape now.

When Rey and Finn reached the landing bay, Han and Chewie were already heading toward the ship. BB-8 rolled along behind them. Rey could tell that Chewie was injured. She hoped a rathtar had not gotten him.

Rey yelled, "Han!"

Han turned and commanded Rey, "You, close the door behind us!" To Finn he ordered, "You take care of Chewie!"

Han and Rey raced up the ramp as Finn headed up with Chewie, who is roaring wildly in pain as Finn drags the Wookiee's arm around his shoulders.

* * *

Ani lurked again as Rey ran to the cockpit. While watching over her all these years he had seen his wife Padmé in her. He had seen himself in her. He had seen Leia. But now, he saw Han in her. Her recklessness, her brashness, her attitude. She was her daddy's little girl. If only Han would realize it.

And then Ani smiled. He was so proud of her. Rey instinctively used the Force—and she obeyed him immediately, trusting him. Ani's training had not been in vain. If only she could stay to the light side, her family would survive.


	39. Chapter 39--Hyperspace

**CHAPTER THIRTY-NINE (revised 8-26-16)**

 **Author's note: Chapters 36-39 have been rewritten in the last few days. Please read the author's notes in Chapter 36 first.**

* * *

While Han was firing up the hyperdrive on the back panels, Rey hurried past him, jumping into the co-pilot's seat. Rey reached over to the fuel pump on the pilot's console and informed, "Unkar Plutt installed a fuel pump, too—if we don't prime that we're not going anywhere." She flicked switches, priming the fuel pump and bringing up the sublight engines.

Han, flipping some more switches, agreed, "I hate that guy."

As Han turned to her, Rey added with a smirk, "And you could use a co-pilot."

Han gestured to the medbay, "I got one, he's back there."

 _An injured Wookiee. He's no help to you back there, Solo_ , thought Rey silently. _I just hope we can get off this ship and out of this system before anyone else can stop us._

Han sat in the pilot's seat and moved the thruster lever forward. He hit a few more controls while informing, "Watch the thrust, we're goin' out of here at lightspeed—"

 _Wait! Did he just say we're make the jump to hyperspace from inside the landing bay? We're going to get cooked! This guy is either a genius or crazy, and I'm afraid it's—_

Rey's thoughts were interrupted as a Rathtar latched onto the cockpit screen, its mouth forming a seal on the glass. Both Han and Rey jumped, startled. Rey screamed, scared!

Han remarked, "This is not how I thought this day was gonna go—angle the shields!" Rey stood up and flicked the switches above her head. The ship bucked as blaster bolts hit the shielding. _Come on, we've got to leave now!_ thought Rey, but she knew that it was the wrong time to air her thoughts. Han already knew that and did not need to be nagged. They had to wait for the navacomputer to finish its calculations.

Han turned the wheel to align the _Falcon_ for launch. "Come on baby, don't let me down!" Han hit the hyperdrive activator switch, but the _Falcon_ only made a whining noise. Han looked at the panels, confused. "What?!"

Rey pointed at his console and softly instructed, "Compressor." _He must be barmy._

As Han hit the compressor switch, the hyperdrive fired into activation, blasting the hangar and the Falcon into lightspeed and ripping the rathtar off the cockpit screen. As the _Falcon_ sped into lightspeed, Rey was mesmerized by the blue lights the stars made. _It's like nothing I could have ever imagined, so beautiful, so peaceful, so right—_

The cockpit instantly filled with smoke and sensors beeped incessantly as a fuse blew. Han announced while pointing at the panel above Rey's head, "Electrical overload!"

Rey stood, pulling the cover off the panel, and stated, "I can fix that!"

Han turned to his panel and read as the alarm continued beeping, "Coolant's leaking."

Rey turned back to him, thinking. She suggested, "Try transferring auxiliary power—"

The both finished in unison again, "—to secondary tank." Han stated, "I got it!" _We're thinking together again_ , thought Rey. _Who is this guy? And why do I feel I know him, yet I know I've never met him before?_

Finn mentioned something from the back about Chewie, but Rey did not catch it. _If I can just bypass that stupid compressor! I should have followed my instincts years ago—wait, years ago? Did I know I would steal this ship? I definitely remember that I had planned to remove that compressor . . . and the fuel pump . . . when I stole . . . my? ship? That doesn't make any sense at all. This was Unkar's ship, and now it's Han's. And it rightly belongs to him. Maybe if we make it through this, he'll let me work on this ship with him and Chewie._

Han broke into Rey's thoughts, "This hyperdrive blows, there are gonna be pieces of us in three different systems!"

Rey pulled something hard out of the panel, and the alarm subsided. The hyperdrive chimed as it normalized. Rey sat in the co-pilot's seat with the piece in her hand. Han looked up at her, amazed and unsure of what she did. Han asked, "What'd you do?"

Rey held up the piece, a square chip with wires trailing, and smiled joyfully as she explained, "I bypassed the compressor!" She knew she had just saved their lives, and a part of her wanted Han's approval.

Han's eyes questioned her decision, shocked. All he said was, "Huh."

 _Why that low-down, stuck-up, scruffy looking, nerf-herder! I just risked electrical burns and saved all of our lives—not to mention his precious ship—and he can't even say, "Thank you"? I should have known better than to think we had some sort of connection. Wrong again, Rey. Stick to yourself, and no one can hurt you._

Han exited the cockpit, ordering, "Move, Ball," to BB-8.

Rey stared out into the light of hyperspace, immersing herself in the energy field. She bit back the tears of rejection. _You're a fool, Rey!_ _You don't need the approval of anyone. Just get on with your life and get back to Jakku,_ she thought. But his reaction still stung. Something within her craved his approval. _Why would it even matter to have a washed-up smuggler's approval?_ she wondered. And yet she could not deny this connection she felt to this man, even if he could not feel it.

In the empty cockpit she heard the voice again. It was the voice of a young man, but it was not Finn's. She could hear Finn in the back with Han and Chewie. "He's afraid," said the voice. "He's afraid of being hurt by the ones he loves. And he's afraid to hurt them, too."

"Who are you?" asked Rey, tired of these games. The voice refused to answer, though.


	40. Chapter 40--The Jedi Were Real

**CHAPTER FORTY**

As Rey entered the main hold, she giggled. Finn had accidentally hit a button on the Dejarik table, and the pieces magically appeared, fighting with each other in the middle of a game. Rey thought, _I wonder how long it's been since somebody played that game. It could have been decades for all we know._ The Wookiee gave a moan of interest as the players moved on the table. _I think Chewie knows this game very well. I wonder if he would teach me._

Before Rey could even begin to figure out the rules and the strategy, Finn found the controls to switch it off. _Funny, a few minutes ago I was worried about my life, and now I'm upset about a stupid game. Focus, Rey, your life is still in—_

Han interrupted her thoughts, "So, fugitives, huh?"

Rey replied, "The First Order wants the map."

Han's expression changed to one of skepticism toward her and Finn but softness when she mentioned the map. _Please, help us. Don't turn us away,_ pleaded Rey, not sure if she was directing her thoughts to herself, to Han, or to that mysterious voice she kept hearing.

Han spoke to BB-8, "Let's see whatcha got."

The little droid look back and forth between Han and Rey, beeping a few strings in binary. _He's asking my permission?_ Rey provided it, "Go ahead."

Once the map was projected, it was obvious that the map was only a small portion of the galaxy, but what part it fit in, Rey sure did not know. She wish she still had access to those maps she had found on the Ravager years ago in the computer terminal. _There was so much in that terminal! Why did they have to take it away. I lost so much knowledge that day,_ regretted Rey. _There were so many unanswered questions. Why is Luke missing? Is he coward? Is he waiting for someone, somewhere? Something must have happened._

Rey heard the voice prompting her again, "Ask him, Rey." Rey took a deep breath and asked, "Why'd he leave?" She knew the answer she would receive would be very important in the near future. Her head was tingling as all of her senses were attuned to Han's reply—she would always remembered how he looked, the compassion and regret in his voice, the hesitation about his next step.

Han replied with a low voice full of regret, "He was training a new generation of Jedi. One boy, an apprentice turned against him, destroyed it all. Luke felt responsible . . . He walked away from everything."

 _Who? Who was the boy? Why wouldn't Luke have just killed the one responsible—end the terror?_

The voice informed, "He loved the boy, Rey. As much as he loved those he had lost, he loved the boy. He believes there is still good in the boy, even now. He could not trust himself not to kill him out of revenge. The Force runs strong in our family, Rey, both sides. Never forget that or think that it will ever be easy to resist the dark side. That's what Luke is doing right now, resisting the dark side so that the boy can be brought back to the light."

"I don't understand," voiced Rey quietly, forgetting she was not alone. Neither Han nor Finn even realized she had spoken. She asked louder, "The Jedi were real?" but she did not even hear Han's answer because of the voice in her head.

"Of course, we're real. How else would I be able to be here talking to you? Only Jedi can be Force-ghosts, Rey." _Force-ghost? Jedi? But what does this mean?_ "Luke is waiting for the right person to turn the boy back to the light. Luke knows there is good in him. Just as Luke knew there was still good in me, just as his mother always knew," explained the ghost.

 _He's waiting for me, isn't he?_ asked Rey. But she received no response. The voice had disappeared yet again. Yet, something clicked inside of Rey when she asked that question. Something told her that she was right. This was her destiny. She was scared. _I'm no one's savior. What if I mess up? I'm just a scavenger, not a holy woman. I don't want this! Just send me back to Jakku and let me scavenge the rest of my life._


	41. Chapter 41--Takodana

**CHAPTER FORTY-ONE**

As the _Falcon_ dropped out of hyperspace, it zoomed over the green-blue planet of Takodana. Rey had never seen anything so beautiful before in her life. The vegetation and water both glistened like jewels. _Wait! How would I know that? I've never seen jewels before, or have I? This is so frustrating. I can't tell what is a memory and what is my imagination. Maybe I am hallucinating, and I'll wake up in the walker, sweating out a rad poisoning yet again._

Rey gazed out of the cockpit window, her eyes drawn to the deep blue of the lake they were skimming. As her eyes filled with tears, she gasped involuntarily and said, "I didn't know there was this much green in the whole galaxy . . ." She could feel Han watching her, watching her with wonder. That connection again. Maybe she was not imagining it. Maybe he felt it, too.

Han expertly brought the _Falcon_ into a landing position in a clearing near what could only be called a castle, rising with towers and banners.

As Rey stepped off the Falcon, the ground was moist and spongy. _Strange. It doesn't feel like ground at all . . . well, at least not like sand—whether packed or on the dunes._ _It's chilly here, too. I hope I'm not getting sick. That's the only time I'm ever cold. I wonder what people do when they're cold? Do they have special clothes or something?_

Han handed her a blaster, which she took. _This doesn't look like any type of blaster this guy would use, except in a pinch. Very feminine. I wonder where he got it, and for whom._ Rey hefted the blaster. It fit perfectly in her grip. She aimed it at a tree, focusing with one eye, and squeezed. Nothing happened.

Han grabbed it back from her and showed her a latch on the side of the device. "Safety. Turn it on when you're carrying it, off when you're using it. You got a lot to learn. What's your name?"

"Rey," she stated, looking him in the eye. It was obvious he wanted to talk to her about something important. _Why am I nervous? . . . A job! He's offering me a job! I can't believe it! I can leave Jakku—no, I can't leave Jakku. I've got to wait for my family. They're coming back. I know it._

Han was definitely disappointed when she refused the position. _He probably hasn't invited anyone on his ship permanently in a long time_ , surmised Rey, knowing that she knew the truth. _And whoever that was, this was her blaster_ , Rey knew instinctively.

Rey followed Han as he lead them toward the castle, a wretched hive of scum and villainy. _Maybe I can find passage off this planet, get BB-8 back to the Resistance, and make it back to Jakku before too long._


	42. Chapter 42--Luke's Lightsaber

**NOTE: I posted 2 chapters in the last 24 hours. Read Chapter 41 first. (8/28/16 11:17 PM PDT)**

* * *

 **CHAPTER FORTY-TWO**

Rey sprinted up the cellar steps—she did not know where she would go, but she had to leave that place! She had to run away! She had to escape Vader! She had to escape that creature! She had to escape her past! She had to escape her future!

There was no doubt about it. She knew she saw the future. That part of the vision felt so different—tingly. And then the voice. She had to escape that voice.

She stopped on the stairs, breathing heavily. She ran over the vision in her mind. She reached out and grabbed the cylindrical object. It had been calling her name. _It_ had been calling her name. Immediately, she heard the regulator, and everything came flooding back to her.

She knew she was in Cloud City on Bespin. She knew Han had been there, had been frozen there. She knew her mother had been there. Vader stood in front of her with the dark suit, reaching out his hand to her.

The voice still echoed in her head. "Rey." It spoke again. She could not tell what was the memory and what was reality. "Rey, turn back. Take the saber. It was mine. It's now yours."

Rey yelled, "No! It was Vader's! I am not Vader! I am not that creature!"

"It was never Vader's. It was mine. It was Anakin's. It was my son's as well," explained the voice. Ani materialized in the stairwell in front of her—the young man from her dreams—the man she now remembered was her grandfather, Anakin Skywalker, Darth Vader.

Rey slowly sunk to the floor, remembering what Maz had just told her, "Whomever you're waiting for on Jakku . . . they're never coming back." That truth—and she knew it was truth—stabbed her in her heart. And then this vision. How was she supposed to fight that monster in the mask?

"The belonging you seek is not behind you; it is ahead." Those words had so many meanings to them. Was she talking about Luke? Was she talking about something else entirely?

Ani watched as Rey cried over the loss of all hope and dreams. "Rey, there is still hope. Your future is ahead of you, not behind. Maz is right. You must step out of the past to enter your future."

Rey glared at him. Her granddad, she recalled. She rubbed her temples as a headache of grand proportions was beginning. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"Your deepest desires cannot be fulfilled on Jakku, Rey. But they can be in your future, if you just follow your destiny," vaguely explained Ani. He was not quite sure how much of the mindwipe had been reversed by the Force during her vision.

"My deepest desires? I only have one," bitterly stated Rey. "My family."

"They aren't on Jakku, but they are in your future, Rey," informed Ani. "I promise."

"I remember your promises. Promises to my grandmother, which you broke. Promises to Calrissian, which you broke. Promises to me, which—"

"I never broke," corrected Ani.

"You abandoned me, just like my family did," accused Rey.

"I never did. The dreams, Rey. Don't you remember your dreams?" asked Ani. "And your last bout of radiation sickness. Who do you think cared for you? Stole water from Unkar for you? Prepared your meals and cleaned up for you? I was there."

Rey stood, not sure what to believe. She ran out of the castle, down the wet stones, under the pod racing flags. She knew what they were now. Some of her memory was coming back. She stopped at the edge of the forest to catch her breath, looking back at the castle, almost running back to take the lightsaber. But then she turned again, heading for the _Falcon_. She knew some answers waited for her on the _Falcon_ , answers to who she was. She remembered now that Ani had told her it was her ship. Her ship. She hoped it meant—


	43. Chapter 43--We Have What We Need

**CHAPTER FORTY-THREE**

Rey sprinted through the forest, dodging roots and hamster holes. She felt it. She felt everything starting at once. A power was chasing her—no permeating her—and she was scared! She did not want this!

"Vrt-dweet-beep-boop," interrupted her chaotic thoughts. She turned to see BB-8 speeding across the forest trail to her.

"What are you doing?" asked Rey, confused. _I have no idea what I'm going to do. I do not need a droid to worry about, too. He has to get back to the Resistance, so they can find Luke— But why? Can one man really make the difference in this freedom. Surely, if he thought he could do anything to help, he would be here already. Or maybe he isn't all-powerful like they all seem to think. That student who turned . . . that was Luke in the vision! The creature who spared me—that was his student! How do I know this? I don't want to know this! Leave me alone!_

"You have to go back," insisted Rey. BB-8 responded insistently. "No, you can't—you have to go back, you're too important. They'll help—"

A squadron of TIE fighters roared overhead, firing at the castle! _They're in danger. Han and Finn—they're in danger! I have to warn them! I have to save them!_ She turned and ran back toward the castle.

As she raced toward the castle, she stopped as one of the towers toppled, crashing through the statue of Maz in the courtyard. A large _Upsilon_ -class shuttle flew in from behind the castle, landing in front of her. A sense of foreboding accompanied it—a sense of destiny. She felt it again—that connection— _but Han is nowhere in sight, and this is different._ It's the shuttle! Someone's on the shuttle. _I have to run. I can't stay. I can't—_

A filtered radio call broke the silence. She turned to see a stormtrooper about 30 meters away from her, turned the other direction. _Oh, no! Blaster. Blaster._ Rey lifted the small blaster from her waistband and aimed it at the stormtrooper, pulling the trigger. The weapon clicked, but nothing happened. She quickly pulled the weapon back, and with shaking hands released the safety.

The stormtroopers audio feeds picked up the weapon's clicking and her heavy breathing. He turned to her, raising his F-11D blaster. She dodged just before his blast sped past her head, and then she fired. Her first shot veered to the left, but her second shot nailed him in the chest. _Wow! I didn't know it had that much power!_ Rey thought. . . . _I just killed a man._

A feeling of revulsion spurted through her body until BB-8 warned her of another attacker. She turned to her left, and, clenching her teeth in concentration, she hit another stormtrooper. His partner, however, fired back. Rey dodged the blast again, turned, and ran back into the forest, following BB-8.

* * *

A few hundred meters into the forest, she stopped to catch her breath. _I can't keep running. They've seen me. BB-8 has a better chance on his own, now that I've been marked. He's got to make it to the Resistance._ She told BB-8, "You have to keep going. Stay out of sight. I'll try to fight them off." The little droid sped off down the trail as Rey returned toward the castle yet again, taking cover behind a moss-covered tree.

As she waited, she heard sounds—a startled bird flying through the trees, a slight mechanical whirring, and then that sound from the vision—that unmistakable sound of a lightsaber. _No!_ She stepped back, raising her blaster, looking around her in a 270 degree path, backing up into the forest. she found herself in the middle of burnt-out tree trunks. It was like something out of a dream, and she felt the darkness of the place pressing in on her. She felt the evil.

The crackle of the lightsaber pierced the forest—the lightsaber from the vision. _No! I don't want this! Leave me alone!_

"Rey, this is your destiny! You must face him," said Ani. "I won't let him harm you."

The creature in the black mask from her vision, the last one, the one that let her get away, appeared from behind the tree. Rey fired. He blocked the bolt with his lightsaber. She fired again, but he deflected. And now, as fired over and over again, he just dodged the blasts. He knew when and where they would strike before she even fired.

Rey turned and fled as he advanced on her, climbing a small mound in the forest. Trying to hide. Trying to gain an upper ground advantage. He followed her, persistent. As she fired, she felt the pull to this creature. She was at once revolted and entranced.

Suddenly, he lowered his weapon and raised his left hand. Rey felt her right arm pull back, paralyzed. She started hyperventilating and tried to fight against the paralysis. _I can't move! What sorcery is this? How is he doing this?_

He approached, just watching her struggle. _He's happy. He's happy about this! What sick monster is this?_ As he interrogated her, he walked around her. Then he suddenly turned and lowered his lightsaber at her face. One move, and she would be dead. _Why doesn't he just kill me now. Thrust the lightsaber and push me into it. Just get it over it_. And then he asked, "The droid? Where is it?"

"Don't tell him, Rey. Don't tell him," instructed Ani. _As if I would tell him that! Really, granddad!_

The creature extinguished his saber and moved back in front of Rey. He raised his black gloved hand, reaching out toward her face—no, toward her mind. _Get out of my mind! Granddad! Help! Don't let him see! Help me!_

The creature intoned quietly, "The map. You've seen it." If Rey were not held in stasis by this strange power, she would have collapsed.

"Sir, Resistance fighters," interrupted a stormtrooper. We need more troops."

The monster ordered, "Pull the division out. Forget the droid. We have what we need."

Rey's eyes grew bigger still in terror. She wanted to die. _Granddad, why didn't you protect me! Grand—_ Rey fell into unconsciousness into the arms of the creature in the black mask.


	44. Chapter 44--Dreaming

**CHAPTER FORTY-FOUR**

Rey awoke in the shuttle as she was being transported . . . wherever, probably the Star Destroyer above. Ani spoke to her quietly, "Rey, pretend you're asleep. Think of me as a dream, think it so convincingly, no one will doubt it."

 _I don't know how_ , stated Rey, panicked. The man in the black robes was turning toward her. _Show me!_

Ani inserted himself into her brain. It was at once invasive and yet calming for Rey. He showed her how to overlay a dream tone to their conversation. When she caught on, it was easy. The man turned back to the cockpit . . . he had bought it.

"Rey, I won't let him do anything bad to you, so just relax when you're with him," directed Ani.

 _Who is he?_ asked Rey. _I feel as if I know him._

Ani was quiet, not sure how to explain the situation to Rey. She would hate him again and shut him out, when she needed him most.

 _I feel a connection to him, like the one I feel with Han, but more . . . more like the one with you_ , stated Rey.

"That's the Force resonating between you both," explained Ani.

 _The Force?_ asked Rey. _I don't know how to use the Force. I'm no one._

"You're wrong. Don't you feel it coursing through you? That energy field? It's so vibrant, Rey, I could almost touch it," informed Ani.

Rey directed her sight inside. It was there. There was a connection, too, between all three of them. Ani smiled as he saw her Force fingers reach out to manipulate it. "It will empower you, if you let it. Just keep your motives right: defense, never attack. Never anger."

 _I've done this before, haven't I?_ asked Rey. _I remember, now, the market place—_

 _"_ Rey, you did it wrong then. Please, don't go down that path. Find your peace and your center before you use the Force, and let it aid you," pleaded Ani. "Don't turn into this monster."

 _Ani, I'm remembering so many strange things right now. I don't understand it all,_ started Rey.

"You will. You will. Give it time," directed Ani.

 _But Han? Ani, what about Han?_

"What about him?"

 _Is he coming for me? Or am I wrong about him?_

"He's coming," explained Ani. Ani thought to himself, _for both his kids._

The creature turned back to Rey. He probed her mind, finding her thinking of Han Solo, his father. "Give her more sedative. She's disturbing me."

The medic looked at him and sighed, "Yes, Master Ren."

Rey's last thought was of Han Solo coming to rescue her from the clutches of this mad man.

* * *

 **Author's Note:**

Kylo Ren is above all things, insecure. Just in case you think I've lost my marbles, no, she was never sedated before. But Kylo does not want the medic to think his Force abilities are anything except perfect ... he lets the medic think it was sedation wearing off, not his lack of expertise **.**

My life has become very complicated. I have not abandoned this work; it's just going to be updated once every few days instead of daily. Next chapter should be longer in length. I may get to it tomorrow.


	45. Chapter 45--You're Afraid

**AUTHOR'S NOTE: I posted Chapter Forty-Four less than 24 hours ago. Read it first.**

 **(9-3-16)**

* * *

 **CHAPTER FORTY-FIVE**

The vision. The vision was happening all over again. The last part, over and over in her brain. Rey wanted to scream. She tried to move, but she was paralyzed again.

And then Ani was there. "Relax, Rey. Relax. You're sedated. Sedation is never good for the Force-sensitive. It brings the visions. Just relax. Let them wash over you like the wind cresting the Spike."

Rey settled down in her dream state. "Good, you're about to awake. Remain in control. I'm here with you. I won't let him hurt—"

Rey awoke with a start, finding herself strapped onto a chair that was inclined at a 75 degree position. She pulled on the straps with her arms and her legs, availing nothing but a response from the other occupant of the room—the creature in his black robes and mask.

She looked around the room quickly. In a basin of ashes on a small table sat a melted mask, not unlike this man's. Rey knew this mask: this was her grandfather's mask. _Ani, why does he have your mask?_

"Your memory is coming back, I see," remarked Ani mysteriously.

The creature stood and looked at her carefully, as if he were trying to remember something about her. _He must feel the connection, too! Why does it exist? I don't want to have anything to do with this monster!_ thought Rey. After a few moments of his staring at her, she asked, frightened, "Where am I?"

The man responded almost pleasantly, "You're my guest."

Rey studied him as he told her that her friends had escaped. She looked around the room, trying to figure out a way to break lose and kill this monster. Her thoughts were interrupted with an accusation, "You want to kill me." It was a calm accusation, but an accurate accusation, still.

Rey shot back, "That happens when you're being hunted by a creature in a mask." _Got him! That hurt._ She could feel the uncertainty in him.

He stared at her for a long moment until he reached up and touched two buttons on his mask. The respirator swung upward with a whoosh before he lifted the helmet and placed it on the ground. Rey was confronted with the face of a man, around 30 years old. His black hair flowed in curls around his face. His face was elongated and marked with moles. But his eyes were familiar. Dark in color but familiar in shape. And that bond was there, still.

Rey realized that she had dropped her own hostility as the man removed the mask. She brought it back up, maintaining her resolve.

The man started the questioning again, "Tell me about the droid."

Rey thought quickly and spouted off the technical details of the BB droid. Rey could feel the anger in the man. He wanted to slap her, but he was prevented by something. Ani appeared behind the man and spoke in her head, "He can't hurt you. I won't let him." The man's arm seemed frozen for a moment.

The man continued talking about the droid, which Rey missed, until he said, "You. A scavenger—"

 _How does he know?_ thought Rey. Her heart rate increased and sweat broke out on her brow.

"Does it matter, Rey? Relax," instructed Ani.

Rey visibly tensed again as the man leaned in, moving his head next to hers, "You know I can take whatever I want." Rey tensed some more. He was implying more than what had happened so far. She felt so vulnerable, scared— The man placed his hand on her face, and then his mind was in hers. She was violated! She wanted to scream. "You're so lonely . . . so afraid to leave . . ." The alien mind probed again, ripping down the wall she had built. "At night, desperate to sleep . . . you imagine an ocean. I see it—I see the island . . ."

 _Stop. Get out. Ani, you said he couldn't hurt me! He's hurting me. Stop him!_ Rey struggled against the restraints, trying to break free.

Ani spoke quietly, "Build your wall, Rey. Build it again. Power it with the Force. It's there inside you. Use it."

Tears streamed down her face, as the man continued, "And Han Solo. You feel like he's the father you never had," taunted the man. He leaned in closer and breathed on her face. Rey frantically tried to rebuild her wall as he continued to break her. "He would've disappointed you," the man remarked.

 _Han's this creature's father? Ani, they're related?_

"Yes, Kylo Ren is Han Solo's son," informed Ani.

 _But the connection . . . the connection I feel to Han. What is it, then?_ asked Rey, but Ani refused to answer. Now was not the time.

Rey's anger swelled, anger at Ani's silence, anger at this Kylo Ren touching her, raping her mind. "Get out of my head!" she ordered through clenched teeth.

Ren continued to probe, but was unsuccessful. "I know you've seen the map. It's in there . . . and now you'll give it to me. Don't be afraid. I feel it, too."

 _He's afraid. He feels our connection, but he's afraid of it. He knows what it is. It's not just the map. He's afraid of something else._ Rey took a deep breath. Her peace came flowing back through her. She could see what she had to do, and now she had the power of the Force. Her wall solidified almost before her eyes. Rey announced, "I'm not giving you anything."

Kylo Ren taunted, "We'll see."

He pushed his mind harder against hers, but ran up against the wall. It hurt to hold this wall. All she wanted to do was to let it collapse, but he could not have that map.

Ren slammed one last time against the barrier in her mind, ricocheting back physically. He pushes again, slowly, with the Force, but Rey pushes back. Back and back and back—and then, she is now in _his_ mind.

Rey realized it. This was not a man, but a boy, an insecure, incompetent boy. One whose fear overwhelmed him. One who was conflicted inside. He was being pulled apart by both the light and the dark. _There is still light in him! Ani was right. There is hope! Why does he want the dark? Family. He wants his family . . . his grandfather . . . he wants his grandfather to approve of him, because no one else does. He needs the love of_ _my_ _grandfather—Vader—_

". . . You . . . you're afraid . . . that you will never be as strong as . . . Darth Vader!" announced Rey, trying to get a distraction.

Kylo Ren withdrew his hand to break the connection as if it were on fire. He staggered back, confused, worried.

Rey looked back at him, glad for the mind probe to be broken, but sad for this man. He was the truly lonely one, the man torn in two, all for the need of a family.


	46. Chapter 46--Drop Your Weapon

**I published 3 chapters in last 24 hours. Make sure you read Chapters 44 and 45 first.**

* * *

 **CHAPTER FORTY-SIX**

Rey struggled against the bonds of her restraining chair again, receiving abrasions on her wrists and ankles in return. She groaned and tried again until Ani appeared in front of her. "Rey, you have to get out of here," he urged.

"That's what I'm trying to do," grunted Rey as she tried yet again.

"Not that way," indicated Ani.

"Well, then, you undo the locks, Ani," argued Rey, falling back into the chair. The lone stormtrooper guard looked over at her and then returned to staring outside the chamber.

"I can't. He'll feel me, and so would Snoke," informed Ani, looking around nervously. Just appearing in front of Rey was a risk right now.

"Who's Snoke?"

"Someone never to trust. If you ever meet him, remember he has only his best interests at heart. He will say anything to get what he wants," informed Ani darkly.

"You know him?"

"Yes. He was my master. He is a liar and a crafty deceiver. Believe nothing that comes from his mouth. Promise me that," warned Ani. Rey was intrigued, her face full of wonder. "Promise me!"

"I promise, Granddad," spoke Rey softly.

"Good. Now, that guard over there is going to let you out," started Ani.

"Hunh?" asked Rey.

"You are going to tell him to do it, and he will obey you," spoke Ani.

"Just like that?"

"Just like that. You'll use the Force to implant the command on his mind while you say the words with conviction. Stormtroopers have been conditioned to follow commands, so the mind trick works on them," indicated Ani. "Go ahead."

Rey spoke up, hesitantly, "You will remove these restraints. And leave this cell, with the door open.

The stormtrooper guard looked at her in wonderment. "What did you say?"

Rey looked directly at him, her confidence wavering. She repeated loudly, "You will remove these restraints. And leave this cell, with the door open."

The guard moved toward her in the cell and aimed his rifle at her. Rey flinched as the muzzle was brought toward her. Ani spoke in her head, "No fear. He won't shoot you. He's afraid of what Kylo Ren would do to him if he did."

The guard replied, "I'll tighten those restraints, Scavenger Scum!"

"Become at peace, Rey. Let the Force flow through you. Do it," instructed Ani.

Rey stared at the trooper intensely while calming herself. Her face visibly relaxed before she repeated, "You will remove these restraints. And leave this cell, with the door open."

The trooper repeated, "I will remove these restraints. And leave this cell, with the door open."

As he reached down to remove the restraints, Rey thought to Ani, "It worked! It really worked!"

As the guard exited, Ani reminded, "The weapon! Have him drop his weapon!"

Rey commanded, "And you will drop your weapon."

The trooper replied, "And I will drop my weapon."

Rey jumped off the chair, rubbing where the bonds had chafed. She grabbed the dropped weapon and headed out of the corridor, not knowing where to go.

Ani urged, "Turn around. Kylo Ren is coming this way."

Rey quickly turned and ran down the corridor. Rey thought to him, _Granddad, what now?_

"It's time to steal a ship, Rey! Remember the TIE simulator?"

The memory instantly came back to her. The simulator on the _Ravager_. _Yeah, I could steal a TIE. Finn said he and Poe stole one, and I actually know how to fly one_. But other memories bombarded Rey all at once, memories of the _Ravager_. The specs of the _Falcon_ came up in her mind . . . and those security videos. _Ani . . . Ani had been a monster, too, but he's not that way now. There is hope for Kylo._


	47. Chapter 47--Escape Now Hug Later

**NOTE: I posted Chapters 46 and 47 in the last 24 hours. Make sure you don't miss 46.**

* * *

 **CHAPTER FORTY-SEVEN**

 **CHAPTER FORTY-SEVEN**

Rey ran quickly down the corridor, looking for anything to take cover behind. "Rey, stormtroopers approaching," warned Ani.

 _I know, I know!_ thought Rey. She hurried into an alcove, holding the stormtrooper gun tightly to her chest. She slowed her breathing, listening for them to pass by her, feeling for them with the Force. From her view, she could see a vast canyon with a drop-off hundreds of meters below. _Just like the_ Inflictor. _Good thing they haven't designed anything new in the last 29 years,_ thought Rey to herself. And just beyond this walkway was a TIE fighter hangar—literally thousands were in storage, with a squadron ready to launch.

As the first group of troopers passed her, Rey sneaked out onto the walkway. Just as she was about to turn to race to the hangar, another group of troopers approached from the perpendicular walkway. They had not seen Rey yet. The first squad was still on her walkway at the farther end. She looked both ways and then looked down.

Just as the second squad turned, Rey shoved the gun over her back and climbed over the ledge, scaling down the infrastructure of the canyon. The squad marched by as Rey clung to the side of the canyon. She peered down at the fall that awaited her and clung ever more tightly. She brought her eyes back to the wall. It was familiar.

 _This is a service bay. If I could just work my way down to the access lever . . ._ thought Rey as she started her perilous climb down and over a few meters. She pulled the lever, and the hatch slid open. She climbed inside to the inner workings of the base, bathed in white light.

Ani spoke, "This way, Rey. Your ride is here."

 _But that's away from the hangar_ , she argued, but she still followed him. Rey adjusted her gun to firing position and moved cautiously down the service tunnel.

* * *

After traversing the tunnel for many minutes, Ani stopped her, "Here. Exit here and climb back up."

Rey looked at the service hatch, identical to the previous one. And then she felt it. A connection. Whoever it was, he was not close enough for her to identify, but the bond was there. She hoped it was not Kylo Ren. Rey felt with the Force through the hatch. Whoever it was, was not at her planned destination.

 _Ani,_ she thought. _You could have easily stopped Kylo from grabbing me. Why didn't you?_ Rey stopped walking and threatened, _I'm not moving until you answer me, Granddad!_

"It was necessary for you to meet him, and for him to meet you," prevaricated Ani.

 _Why?_ asked Rey.

"You needed to see the real person underneath the mask," answered Ani.

 _I did not need to see his face_ , argued Rey.

"No, but you need to see the light in him. It's still there Rey. No matter what else happens, remember there is still light in him," begged Ani.

Satisfied with the answer, Rey progressed through the panel, sprung the lever, and maneuvered herself back onto the wall. As she started climbing up, she felt it. _I feel like I'm being watched_. She felt for the source, but she could not determine if it were Han or Kylo Ren. She just knew it was one of them, and two others were with him.

* * *

A few minutes later Rey pulled herself around a corner, gun drawn. She knew the group that was watching her was around the bend. She jumped out at them and screamed. She dropped her rifle instantly while Han asked, "Are you all right?" Han smiled at her reply, with relief. _He came back for me. Han did come back for me!_ _I wasn't wrong._ _And Finn's with him!_

Finn moved to her and asked, very concerned, "What happened—did he hurt you?"

Rey asked, "Finn, what are you _doing_ here?"

Finn looked deeply into her eyes and answered, "We came back for you."

 _I don't have to do this on my own. People do care about people._

Chewie moaned, *It was his idea.*

Rey looked from the Wookiee back to Finn and then hugged the man, "He says it was your idea." _Finn cares about me?_ Tears appeared in Rey's eyes, but she was afraid to even show the weakness of rubbing them clear. "Thank you."

Finn smiled awkwardly during the embrace. This was his second hug ever, and this one felt much better than the one from Poe. To cover his embarrassment and churning feelings, Finn asked, "How did you get away?"

"I can't explain it, and you wouldn't believe it," answered Rey softly.

Han looked over at the couple and then back down the corridor Rey had come from. "Escape now. Hug later."

 _So this is what family feels like, Granddad?_ asked Rey as they headed out of the base.

"This is only the beginning, Rey," remarked Ani cryptically.


	48. Chapter 48--The Face of My Son

**NOTE: I've added numerous chapters during the last 72 hours. Please don't miss any (44-48) 9-4-16**

* * *

 **CHAPTER FORTY-EIGHT**

 _Just be quiet while I pull on this fuse_ , thought Rey at the jabbering men. _At least when I scavenged I didn't have to put up with this noise._ She grunted as the fuse released, opening the hatch. As they moved into the oscillator structure, Chewie and Han distributed the charges, conversing in hushed tones.

Han directed, "We'll set the charges at every other column."

Chewie disagreed and suggested another plan.

"You're right. That's a better idea," agreed Han. As he checked the detonator, he continued, "You take the top. I'll go down below." As Chewie departed, Han tossed the detonator and said, "Detonator." Chewie caught it, and then Han directed, "We'll meet back here." They all departed for opposite directions, Rey and Finn looking for another exit, while Chewie headed above with his detonator.

* * *

Finn and Rey found an exit up above, with double doors open, allowing a beam of waning sunlight to filter into the cavern. They stopped and looked over the railing when they hear Han yell, "Ben!" The name echoed throughout the chamber, as Kylo Ren stopped on the flat bridge that traversed the cavern. They could see Han standing at the opposite end of the bridge. Rey gasped as she realized that father and son were meeting again. Rey could feel the torment in Kylo Ren, no in _Ben_. The light was calling him. The darkness, too.

Kylo Ren taunted, "Han Solo. I've been waiting for this day for a long time." A long pause was held between them both, as they both eyed the other.

Rey could feel the turmoil in them both now. Han ordered, "Take off that mask. You don't need it."

"What do you think you'll see if I do?" taunted Kylo Ren.

Han stepped closer to his son. "The face of my son."

Rey could feel his desire—to just grab Ben and take him back home. Han's thoughts intruded on Rey's. _He must be projecting them, trying to persuade Ben. If I'm picking them up, then Ben is, too_ , thought Rey. Han's thoughts buffeted her, _Things could be different. We could be a family again._

* * *

Rey watched from the balcony as Kylo Ren removed his mask and revealed the face of Ben Solo. Han paled as he viewed the face of his son for the first time as a man. Many years had passed since the Purge, and the face was no longer the face of a seduced, deluded boy, but that of a man who had made bad decisions and suffered for them.

Ben continued, but he did not quite believe what he said, "Your son is gone. He was weak and foolish, like his father. So I destroyed him."

"That's what Snoke wants you to believe, but it's not true. My son is alive," persuaded Han with a passion Rey had not seen before now.

As Chewie moved in closer to Han and Ben on the lower level, Ben flared in anger. "No, the Supreme Leader is wise."

Han stepped closer to his son, and stated, "Snoke is using you for your power. When he gets what he wants, he'll crush you—you know it's true."

Ben hesitated. Rey could feel the pull of the light within him. _He's coming._ But then it stopped as the sunlight on his face faded. "It's too late," Ben stated.

"No it's not. Leave here with me. Come home. We miss you," begged Han. Rey could feel the agony in Han now, the agony in Ben.

Tears now flowed down Ben's face. He was conflicted again. He wanted to go home. He wanted everything to return to normal. He just wanted to be normal. "I know what I have to do, but I don't know if I have the strength to do it. Will you help me?"

Han steps closer, hearing his son's pained voice. "Yes. Anything."

Kylo Ren unholstered his lightsaber and slowly extended it to Han, within a foot of Han's chest. Han could not believe that his son was actually surrendering, coming home.

Rey's memory returned as she watched this scene transpire. Han, in peril of death, now overlaid with an image she remembered from the _Ravager_. It all came back like a burst of lightning, spearing her head: _a younger Han on a platform, his face in anguish as two guards held him at a device . . . carbon freeze_ , she remembered. _And then the image of her mother telling him, "I love you."_

 _His only response, "I know."_

Rey could not get the vision out of her head. She started hyperventilating in anticipation. The vision was a warning. She wanted to yell at Han to leave, that it was too late. But as the last beam of sunlight was quenched by the Starkiller weapon, she knew it was too late. Kylo Ren's eyes changed from brown to darkest of night as he ignited the lightsaber, piercing their father through his chest. Han hung there for a minute before plunging into the chasm below.

Chewie started firing, howling in anguish. Kylo Ren was hit by the bowcaster, but he still stood.

Rey screamed in pain, thinking, _You monster! You just killed our father! You monster! I don't care if you are my brother! You deserve to die! Father!_ She could feel the power of the Force raging in her with her anger and pain, echoing off the detonations Chewie activated.

As Finn dragged her out of the base, Ani spoke in her head, "Rey, don't go down this path. Forgive him. You have to save Ben. There is still good in him."


	49. Chapter 49--Battle in the Forest

**CHAPTER FORTY-NINE**

As Rey and Finn stumbled through the snowy forest toward the _Millennium Falcon,_ the sound of an erratic lightsaber shattered the silence. The stop, out of breath, knowing that the end is near; but Rey was not going to give up without a fight.

Kylo Ren appeared from the trees, lightsaber held in front of him, challenging Rey, "We're not done yet."

Rey yelled at him, "You're a monster!"

Kylo Ren taunted, "It's just us now. Han Solo can't save you."

Rey pulled her blaster on Kylo Ren. He raised his hand and sent her up 10 meters, careening her against a tree. She fell to the snow, unconscious.

"Rey, you have to wake up. Rey, wake up!" yelled Ani in her ear. "Wake up, darling!"

 _No, Granddad, sleep, I need sleep. The sand is so soft right now. I'll go scavenge when the sun goes down._

"Rey, you have to stop him! He's going to kill Finn! Only you can stop him! Wake up!"

 _But I hurt. My head hurts, my back hurts. Just let me rest._

Ani moved into her mind and woke her up invasively. She woke to hear Finn screaming, watching him fall to the snow, his back sliced by the red lightsaber. The blue lightsaber extinguished and flew beyond Kylo Ren.

"Rey, he must not get my lightsaber. It's yours. Stretch your hand out and grab it," instructed Ani.

Rey watched as Kylo Ren stretched his out to grab it, but it barely moved. "It will answer to my grandchildren, Rey. It will answer to you. Use the Force and grab it! Do you want that monster to win? Do you want Finn to die?" persuaded Ani.

Rey reached forth her hand, scrunching her forehead in concentration, and pulled. It wiggled at first. She was not sure if it was going to come to her or to Kylo. With more effort she called on the Force within her and PULLED. It sped out of the snow, hitting Kylo Ren in the face, as it came to Rey's hand. Rey looked at it and knew what she had to do. She flicked the activation button and moved the saber to her head.

She charged at Kylo Ren with a staff movement. _It's not much different than a staff. That's what this is, a staff. Just don't grab it at the wrong end,_ she told herself. She swung, she defended, they fought. Her eyes blazed as the Force worked through her.

Kylo Ren chased her throughout the forest, the wounds on his shoulder and his side bothering him. Rey did not have his reach, but she was strong from her years as a scavenger. Her years with the staff stood her in good stead, as well.

As he chased her, she jumped on a boulder and ran across it, jumping over the path, somersaulting and coming up in a defensive position. Try as he might, Kylo Ren could not mark her. She was quick, nimble, strong, and intuitive.

Finally, as the trees collapsed behind them, as the planet collapsed in on itself, he worked Rey back against the cliff. All he had to do was to push her off, but that was not his plan. He pushed against her and held her in a lock, both lightsabers inches from her face in a cross. "You need a teacher!" started Kylo. "I can show you the ways of the Force!"

Rey's memory came back of Vader offering Luke Skywalker the same thing on Cloud City. She remembered the cost, too, his hand. He thought it would be his life. She knew what her decision had to be. She would be untrue to herself if it were any other. Rey remembered, "The Force."

"Rey, become at peace. Passive. Let the Force flow through you. Let it control your actions. Don't think," directed Ani.

Rey calmed herself, closing her eyes, holding the lightsabers in stasis near her face. And then she swung. She did not have to think: the Force showed her what to do next. The Force even moved her muscles directly into the next position. Over and over again, she battled against Kylo Ren, until she had beat him to the ground. She sliced the hilt of his saber, removing it from his hand and whipped her lightsaber against his face, leaving a scar not unlike her granddad's across the right side of his face.

Rey looked at her opponent, filled with the Force, but her anger was welling in her now. _It would only take one blow to finish him. Then this would be over_.

"Rey, no, there is still good in him. You have felt it. You have seen it. Please, stop," begged Ani. "If you use your anger with the Force, you will be consumed by the dark side. Please, stop."

Rey looked like she was not going to stop at all, and she refused to answer her granddad. Ani sent out his power and urged the ground a bit, causing it to split between his two grandkids. Rey stood there, looking at Kylo Ren, looking at her . . . brother. _I almost killed my brother, as he killed our father._ Rey backed up, lowering her lightsaber, in shock at what she almost had done in the heat of the moment.

And then she remembered. _Finn! Finn!_ She ran back into the forest to Finn. She held his lifeless body in her arms, tears freezing on her face. _Granddad, I don't know what to do. Please, don't let Finn die. Please._

More trees fell around them. Rey felt the end was here. They were both going to die here in just a few minutes when the planet exploded. _If that is how my life will end, I will end it holding you._

Lights shown through the trees and the sound of the familiar engines of the _Falcon_ whined above the crash of the trees. In no time at all, Chewbacca had retrieved Finn, and they were on their way home.


	50. Chapter 50--Reunion on D'Qar

**CHAPTER FIFTY**

As the _Falcon_ approached the blue-green planet of D'Qar in the Ileenium System, Rey grieved for the loss of her father. Chewbacca was silent, occasionally moaning in grief himself. Rey reached out and grabbed his hand, communicating as much empathy as possible to him. The Wookiee roared in grief again. Tears spilled down Rey's face.

And then there was Finn. Rey wished she could do something for him right now, but with re-entry into the atmosphere, she was required in the co-pilot's seat.

Rey wondered where her life would lead next, as she fingered the lightsaber in her lap. When she had fought with it, it had felt so natural, it had felt like it was made for her.

Chewbacca moaned, _*Prepare for atmospheric re-entry. On my mark, angle the deflector shields to the forward hull. Three, two, one, mark!"_

Rey reached up behind her and adjusted the shields as the _Falcon_ streamed through the atmosphere, the shields sending the heat from the hull. Finn moaned in the back as gravity changed. The straps on the medbay bed were putting pressure on his wounds. _Hang in there, Finn. We're almost there._

After the _Falcon_ landed on the landing strip, it seemed that the entire base raced for the ship. There were pilots in red flight suits, and ground crew in brown and green uniforms. Before the ship had even finished the shut-down sequence, Chewie had already grabbed Finn from the medbay and carried him down the ramp. Rey followed him closely.

Two medics approached them when they were barely off the ramp, taking the injured man from Chewie's arms. Rey reached out her arm to touch Finn one last time, hoping it would not be the last.

Rey stopped on the tarmac as they drove Finn away, confused, not sure where to go next. Her grief overwhelmed her, and she was sure she must be hallucinating. _It can't be. I won't let myself believe it. It can't be her,_ thought Rey as the crowd parted, leaving a lone, small woman. She was older than Rey remembered, her chestnut hair streaked with grey. She was dressed in the green uniform of the ground crew with a brown vest and belt. But if her heart and the Force had not confirmed it, the ring on her right hand would have. Rey remembered that ring. She remembered when her mother had bought that ring. The bottom stone was for her, for her precious Rey.

The feelings overwhelmed them both. Rey could sense hesitation. Her mother was afraid Rey would not remember her or would reject her. Rey did not care about the past. What mattered was now. And now, she just wanted her mother.

As her mother slowly approached Rey on the tarmac, by passing her old friend Chewbacca, Rey took a few small steps toward her in unbelief. When they met, her mother almost said something. Rey could feel through the Force how sorry she was, how much she loved Rey. And then her mother took her in her arms and hugged her like Rey had longed for during the last 14 years. She held her like she would never let go again.

Her mother buried her face in the crook of Rey's neck as Rey bent down to pull her face next to her mother. Both wrapped their arms around the other, as Leia kissed her daughter's neck. They shared their love for each other, and they shared their grief for Han. Rey stood there together, enjoying her mother's embrace while the rest of the base celebrated the victory a few meters away, oblivious to the reunion.

* * *

Ani watched silently as his daughter and his granddaughter reunited. He wished his Padmé could have known them both. _O for my family to be whole again . . . the Dark One, the Bereft Woman, the Hermit, and the Scavenger._


	51. Chapter 51--Dinner with Mother

**CHAPTER FIFTY-ONE**

Rey followed the General back to her quarters. They were sparse and cramped. Rey had expected the General of the Resistance to have quarters more befitting her rank, but not anymore, apparently. Her princess days were long gone, and so was her demanding privileges when her troops on the front lines were risking their lives and enduring hardships every day.

Rey sat in the one chair in the room. It was functional but not quite comfortable. Her mother had barely spoken a word to her since Rey had arrived. Initially, Leia had her duties to attend to, and then the map. _Funny how Artoo woke up right when we got back_ , mused Rey. _It was almost as if he were waiting for me to return._

Now her mother prepared dinner for her, Leia's quick movements revealing her increased adrenaline level. Something was worrying her. Rey grew increasingly nervous. This silence between them . . . _Does she not want me here? Was I never supposed to come back in her life? The child nobody knew she had? Is she ashamed of me . . . I turned out to be a scavenger, not something anyone would be proud of. That's it, she's ashamed. I've brought shame to her by coming back._ Rey stood and walked to the door.

"Where are you going?" asked Leia, upset.

"I don't know, but somewhere I won't bring shame upon you, Mother," revealed Rey as she headed out the door.

"Is that what you think?" asked Leia as she set down her knife and looked in her daughter's eyes. "I've waited 14 years for you to come back. I'm not ashamed of you, Rey. I'm ashamed of myself."

Rey stood with the door cracked open, ready to bolt. "Please, close the door," spoke Leia. Her mother led Rey to her bunk, and they both sat down. "Rey, I'm so glad that you are here, that you came back to me. I hate myself for trusting your uncle and leaving you . . . I thought I was doing the right thing . . . I thought you would have a guardian . . . but the plan went bad."

"I don't understand," indicated Rey.

"Rey, you have a brother," revealed Leia.

"I know. I've met him," answered Rey with a tinge of anger in her voice.

"What?" asked Leia.

"He's the one who captured me. I didn't know who he was at the time, but when he killed Han . . . I mean father, it all became clear who he was, who Han was," explained Rey.

"Does Ben know who you are?" asked Leia, concerned.

"That I'm his sister? No. But we are enemies. We've fought. He lost. And now he seeks revenge," remarked Rey.

"No. Rey, I know this may be hard for you to believe, but there is still good in him. That's why Han confronted him, to turn him back to the good side," informed Leia.

Rey bowed her head and tried to bite back the tears that threatened to fall. "He's a monster. How could he kill his own father in cold blood? He wasn't even a bit remorseful. Mother, I know that he's your son and that you will never stop loving him, but I can't—I can't after everything that happened these last few hours. Am _I_ not be enough for you?"

"I want you _both_ , more than ever. I wear this ring, because I believe one day you will _both_ be returned to me. You're here now. He'll be here soon enough," said Leia full of faith in that statement.

"So, you abandoned me because of my brother?" asked Rey, edgy.

"No, I left you in the care of Lor San Tekka. You were to be hidden on Arbooine. The captain of the ship we used turned on us, selling you to whoever that man was—"

"Unkar Plutt," supplied Rey with animosity.

"And nearly killing your guardian, Lor San Tekka," indicated Leia.

"Lor San Tekka? I've never heard of him. How do you know he wasn't killed?" asked Rey.

"He sent me a message a few weeks ago about the map he had found, the map to Luke," answered Leia. "He had lost his memory for many years . . ."

"Then you knew where I was, and you left me there?" asked Rey.

"I've only known for a few weeks. And, at that point I figured you were safer there than here with me. If your brother finds out who you are, his Force-sensitive sister, the granddaughter of—" Leia could not bring herself to mention the name.

Rey supplied, "Vader."

"You know?"

Rey nodded. "Granddad's been with me all the time since you left me. He prefers to go by 'Ani' now, though."

Leia visibly blanched at that thought. "Do you know what he did? When he was Vader?"

"Yes. We had a few rough spots to work past when I figured it out, but he's always been there for me, Mother. And he's not like that anymore. If you can believe that Ben has good in him, why can't you believe that your father does?" asked Rey.

"You can't know everything. He probably worded it so he didn't look so bad . . ." denied Leia.

"I saw him torture you. I saw him put dad in carbonite. I saw him cut his own son's hand off. And he told me about the children he slaughtered. But mostly, he told me about Padmé. Oh, Mother, he loved her so much. He was willing to do anything for her. He turned for love, Mother; and he turned back for love . . . love for you and your brother," persuaded Rey. "Please forgive him."

"When you forgive Ben. I know there's still good in him. I know he still loves me," bargained Leia.

"He does," answered Rey. "I saw it. In his mind. It's what tears him up on the inside, the love for his mother."

Leia hugged Rey as they both let down their walls of defense. "Can you forgive me?" asked Leia.

"Mother, I can't change what happened. I'm just glad to have you now," answered Rey. "I'll never leave you again."

Leia pulled away. "But you must, Rey. You have to be trained . . ."

"Granddad's been training me. He's done just fine so far," argued Rey. "Tell her, Granddad."

Ani appeared before them both and said, "Rey, your mother is right. I have reached my limits. You must go to your uncle. And you must be trained, or you too will go down the dark path."

"I don't want this. I never wanted this! I just want to stay here with you, Mother," argued Rey.

"Calm yourself, Rey. Let go of your anger," remarked Leia, staring at the ghost of her father.

"No. You weren't the one abandoned on Jakku. You weren't the one forgotten. You weren't the one denied your own father. You weren't the one tortured by your own brother!" argued Rey, standing up to leave again.

Leia ordered with all of her command presence, "Sit down, Rey."

Rey turned, scowling at her mother and granddad.

"Don't you dare walk out that door, Young Lady," commanded Leia. "You were never forgotten. Not a single day has passed that I have not regretted my choices, but that does not change the fact that it had to happen. Do you think you're the only one hurting? Everyone in this Resistance has lost something, usually many someones in their lives. I am not the enemy. Neither is your brother. The evil of the Dark Side is."

Rey softened a little, removing her hand from the hatch control and taking a step toward Leia.

"There isn't a person on this base who hasn't lost at least one person in his life," stated Leia.

"Is that why you've forgotten about dad already? He hasn't even been dead one day, and it's like he never existed to you," accused Rey. "I only knew him for one day, Mother, and I'm more torn up about it that you."

Leia let her wall of protection come down at that as she thrust her emotions at her daughter. "You think I don't hurt, Rey? I loved your father since the day that I met him. Every day that we were apart has been torture for me. I sent him away to protect you. If he knew that you existed, then Ben would have known. Do you think I wanted to do that?

"I'm the one who sent him to Ben. I'm the one responsible for his death. He would have turned away and left Ben alone had I not begged him to at least try. And what did it get me? My son? No. A dead husband . . . but also my daughter. If I wallow in my grief for Han, I will miss the joy I have with you. There will be time enough for me to mourn him later once you're gone."

Rey meditated on Leia's words, absorbing the emotions that were behind them. Ani softly spoke, "Rey, you must go. If you don't, you will turn into the same monster you despise in your brother." Rey opened her mouth to argue, but Ani cut her off, "Your anger consumes you. You have to learn to control it. You need training only a living person can give you. You need Luke."

"I'm not sure I want to be trained by someone who produced that monster," debated Rey. "He's obviously a coward; hiding on some planet while the universe is falling apart and needs—"

"You think you know everything, don't you?" accused Leia. "Luke is not hiding. He's waiting for _you_. He's . . ."

"He's what?" asked Rey.

Ani supplied, "He's resisting the temptation to kill your brother."

"If he's this wonderful Jedi Master—" started Rey.

"He's only a man, who is tempted daily to turn to the dark side. Every day it is a new temptation, and every day he meets it and conquers it. But that doesn't mean it's easy. His exile has been to protect Ben; otherwise, he would have slaughtered Ben years ago, like he almost did the day Ben killed his wife and unborn child," revealed Ani. "Luke's waiting for you, Rey. He has nothing else to live for. You _must_ go to him. Only with his training will you be able to defeat the dark in Ben and return him to the light," prophesied Ani.

"Please, Rey," begged Leia.

Rey looked at her bag on the table, Ani's lightsaber sticking half-way out of it. She remembered how it felt to wield it, how it energized her. She remembered the Force flowing through her when she was calm—it brought her such peace, such joy, such ecstasy. Then she thought of the face—not the face in the snow, but the face in the chamber, the face filled with fear. The face of her brother.

Rey nodded her acceptance. "I'll go. But I'll need a ship."

"You have one. Or at least half of one—the _Falcon_ ," indicated Leia. "Han left his interest in it to his heirs—which is you. Ben never wanted it."

"All right then. First thing in the morning I'll go," agreed Rey.

"Dinner first, My Little Sunshine," mentioned Leia, looking at her grimy daughter and stroking her cheek in love. "Why don't you use the refresher while I finish preparing the meal? Run your clothes through the cleaner, too."

"Yes, Mother," answered Rey, kissing her mother on the cheek before moving toward the refresher unit at the back of the small suite.

"There's a grey vest hanging in the closet. I think it will fit you . . . try it on," suggested Leia.

Rey smiled.


	52. Chapter 52--Thank the Maker

**CHAPTER FIFTY-TWO**

Rey and Leia spent the remainder of the evening talking about Rey's time on Jakku. "Tell me what you remember of Jakku. Your early days there," asked Leia. "Those were the hardest for me."

"They were for me, too, Mother . . . I was a slave," stated Rey with tears in her eyes remembering those first few weeks, before Ani had appeared. She could see revulsion in the eyes of her mother. "Nothing I can tell you will make you happy. Why don't we just forget it?"

Leia shook her head gently, "no." "Rey, I'm not ashamed of you. Remember that. I love you so very much. I'm sorry you were a slave. I was once, too."

"Really?"

Leia nodded. "To Jabba the Hutt . . . I'll tell you about it one day. If your uncle had not come, there is no telling what would have happened to me."

"Mother!" Rey exclaimed in empathy.

Leia's face turned to one of exceeding concern, not daring to ask the question, but needing to know. "Rey, did anyone . . . well, you know . . ." Leia left it hanging and then realized she might not know if she had no one to tell her. "Did anyone—"

"No, Granddad wouldn't let them. And, later, he taught me how to protect myself," informed Rey.

Leia breathed a sigh of relief. "One thing I can be glad about. I prayed daily to the Alderaanian gods that you would be kept safe. They must have heard."

Rey smiled. "No, I think Granddad heard. But I don't think I'd call him a god. It might go to his head."

"I heard that, Rey," chided Ani's voice.

"See, he's always lurking," mentioned Rey with a smile. "Without him, I would not have survived my first year on the planet."

"Tell me about that first year," requested Leia. "When did Ani come to you? Weren't you afraid of a ghost?"

"I was at first a household slave, cleaning his residence. I worked for another slave name Grekka," Rey remembered, sad.

"What was she like?"

"Scared. They were all scared. She had been a slave for fifteen years, since the Battle of Jakku. She didn't care about me—just that I didn't cause her a beating," mentioned Rey.

"Is she still there?"

"No, she was kidnapped by pirates a few years later," told Rey. "She did protect me the best she could, though. One day about six months in Unkar had a party for some of his traders—Grekka called them pirates. Because of the amount of guests, even I was serving that day. One of the pirates grabbed me and touched me in places he shouldn't have—I was only 5! I could feel the evil in him, even though I didn't really understand what he wanted to do. I guess that was the Force. I kicked him and bit his hand and ran away to the cellar to hide. He struck my back with the buckle of his belt. Grekka interfered, offering herself to the man while I ran into the cellar to hide. I called out for you to come get me, and Ani came. He said he came because you didn't know where I was. He held me until I fell asleep that night, and then he made sure the bad man wouldn't ever harm another child again."

"Did you know who Ani was?" asked Leia.

"No. Not really. Just a friend. A friend I needed," explained Rey. "Unkar was scared, though, when he found out it was Vader's ghost. But I had no idea who Vader was. I just knew by then that the ghost was Ani, my granddad. He taught me how to survive, how to protect myself, how to live in the desert, and how to escape when I was ready. There wasn't a moment he wasn't there for me."

Leia took that in. The man Rey described was not the man Leia ever knew. "Were you ever sick?" Leia worried so much about her being sick and no one to care for her little girl.

"Yes. A few times. I had an infection from being chained to a table during a windstorm. Ani made sure I was never chained again, and he went out to one of the star destroyers for meds. He took care of me then, and the three times I had radiation sickness. Well, he and Twelve-One-Bee, did," admitted Rey with a smile.

"Twelve-One-Bee?" asked Leia.

"A medical droid aboard the _Ravager_. The first bout of rad sickness was really bad. The droid helped in a few other areas, as well," remembered Rey. "He proved to me that Ani was my granddad—via blood samples on file."

"Where did you live when you left Unkar?"

"In a collapsed walker. It was hot, but it was private and safe. Ani helped me convert it into living quarters. Before the salvage crews removed the decking of the _Ravager_ , the destroyer had many of the things I needed—water, emergency packets, medical supplies, personal supplies, even uniforms that we altered to fit me. I even learned how to fly on the _Ravager_."

"How?"

"Flight simulator at first. Granddad even let me fly his special programs, even his Nubian fighter that Padmé gave to him, with Artoo," explained Rey.

"Artoo was my mother's, was V—Ani's?"

Rey nodded. "Where is he right now?"

"Probably with Threepio," remarked Leia with a smile. "Why?"

"Granddad?" asked Rey. Ani appeared before them both. "You said Artoo made that original hologram of you and Padmé. Would he still have it?"

"It depends if his memory has ever been erased," remarked Ani.

"Mother, can you send for Artoo?" asked Rey. "There's something you need to see."

Leia activated her comlink panel and announced, "Artoo-Deetoo, to General Organa's quarters. Artoo-Deetoo, to General Organa's quarters." She turned back to Rey and asked, "What's all the mystery?"

"Just wait. I don't want to spoil it for you," mentioned Rey.

The hatch chimed as Artoo arrived. Leia opened the hatch to find Artoo, Threepio, and BeeBee in the corridor. "Come in, come in."

"Prin— General, I thought I would come to interpret," announced Threepio. "I don't know why BeeBee-Ate decided to tag along."

BeeBee booped a bit and rolled over to Rey, communicating a bit. Rey looked at him and replied to him softly, "Thanks for the update on Finn, BeeBee-Ate. Let me know if anything changes."

BeeBee-Ate rolled out of the hatch before Leia closed it. "How is Finn?"

"Still unconscious, but they're starting Bacta treatments on his back now," informed Rey, sadly.

Leia looked carefully at her daughter, seeing a concern in her eyes that she recognized. "You love him, don't you?" Rey nodded silently, tears welling in her eyes. "Don't worry. They wouldn't waste Bacta on someone they didn't think would survive. I have my utmost confidence in Dr. Kalonia. Just give him a chance to heal."

Rey grimaced and then turned to Artoo. "Artoo, what's your earliest data in memory of a human?" Artoo beeped a string of binary at her. "Show me."

Artoo displayed a hologram a young girl dressed in a red gown and headdress cleaning him aboard a small ship. It eventually showed a few other girls dressed the same, a lady elaborately dressed, and three men. Ani gasped.

"What is it, Granddad?"

"That's Padmé. The Queen of Naboo is cleaning Artoo. And two of those men I recognize—Master Qui-Gon, and Master Obi-Wan. This must be right before they landed on Tatooine, right before I met her . . . the love of my life . . . my angel," explained Ani. "If his data goes back this far, he should have the other recording. Artoo, skip ahead 10 years, to Lake Paonga on the terrace of the villa on Naboo."

Artoo did not respond. Rey mentioned, "I guess he can't hear ghosts, Granddad. Artoo, can you pull up the recording 10 years after this at Lake Paonga on the terrace of the villa on Naboo?"

Artoo beeped in reply and whirled as he cycled through his data. Then he projected a recording of two people, staring out at the lake from the terrace. The woman was wearing a beautiful blue dress, her hair down at her back, her arms bare. The young man wore a braid at his right side with the rest of his hair cropped short. Rey corrected, "Not this one. Is there another?"

Artoo cycled through some more footage and then beeped at Rey. "Yes, the one right after the Clone Wars began." Artoo projected it, and Rey sat back, smiling as she watched the marriage of her grandparents. Ani stood to the left, dressed in Jedi robes. Padmé was dressed in a white lace dress and beaded veil. A holy man stood between them. After their vows, they clasped hands, Padmé grabbing Ani's prosthetic hand without flinching. The look he gave her as they kissed melted Rey's heart. When she looked at her mother, she saw tears in her eyes. Throughout the video, a metal arm occasionally jumped in the way.

Artoo beeped something at Threepio. "Artoo Deetoo, that must be some other protocol droid. I have no recollection of ever being the property of a Padmé Amidala or an Anakin— In fact, my last master before Master Luke was Captain Ant—"

Artoo beeped some more. Threepio responded, "I had my memory erased?! Oh, thank the Maker! I thought I had a data glitch or something in my old age."

Ani chuckled and said, "I am the Maker."

Rey laughed a bit, too. Threepio asked, "What's so funny? Am I missing something?"

"No, Threepio. We finally know who your maker is," remarked Leia.

"You mean Anakin Skywalker—Darth Vader—created me? Oh, dear!" remarked Threepio trying to comprehend. "Artoo Deetoo, when we're finished here, you are going to playback all of your recordings that I have seem to have forgotten." Artoo beeped something snotty at Threepio. "No, I don't care how long it takes." Artoo beeped some more. "Why, Artoo! I have not had an memory glitches since the memory wipe—now, your being dormant for 14 years for no good reason at all—" Artoo beeped in succession. Rey, able to understand both binary and Basic, was chuckling at the conversation. "Blame Master Luke? He programmed you that way!" Artoo beeped something serious to Threepio. "Oh. Yes, I guess that was important."

Leia asked, "What?"

Threepio would not answer. Rey spoke up softly, "He has the recording of the Purge. It was to protect Ben . . . and you."

"I want to see it," stated Leia. "I want to see my son, see how he turned."

"No," refused Ani. "Not now. Maybe not ever. You don't need to see this, Leia. You need to believe in the good that is in your son. Watching the Purge will change you. If Ben no longer has a mother loving him, he will give all hope, and the dark side will win."

Leia looked at her father's ghost and then back at Artoo. She looked at Rey, too. "Artoo and Threepio, why don't you two go review your ancient history together in the command center, transfer the history to our databases. But stop before the most recent Purge. Understood?"

As the droids exited the quarters, Threepio answered, "Yes, General."

Leia looked back at her father, really looking at his face, at his eyes of compassion. She realized Luke had his eyes—those eyes that can pierce into your very soul and fill you with all the love within. Ani stood there, waiting for Leia to make a decision.

"This is the man that has cared for me the last 14 years, Mother, not whatever you knew him to be. Please, forgive him. He's changed," pleaded Rey.

Leia took a deep breath and nodded. She spoke hesitantly, with a choked up voice, "Father, thank you for caring for Rey. Thank you for loving my mother. I want to get to know the real you. Maybe forgiveness would be easier, then," spoke Leia.

"Oh, if things could have been different, My Little Angel. If I had only known who you were—" started Ani.

"Stop. Let's not bring that up," spoke Leia softly.

"I just wish we could have been a family. Padmé and I were longing for our child to be born. She thought he was a boy. When I found out Luke lived, I had no idea she had twins . . ." Ani became extremely serious in tone as he revealed, "Leia, the Emperor lied to me, and I believed him. Don't be deluded by Snoke. He has _always_ been a liar."

Leia looked at her father's ghost sharply. "Are you telling me Snoke is Palpatine?"

"No, Snoke is possessed by what _possessed_ Palpatine. He wanted to possess me, but I was injured; he wanted to possess Luke, but Luke refused him; and now he wants to possess Ben," informed Ani. "He is Plagueis, and he will not stop until he finishes what he started."

"What is that, Father?"

"Inhabiting the body of the Chosen One. Snoke's a clone from my corpse. He is awaiting his time to take the body of Ben, when he is fully trained," remarked Ani.

"But why Ben? Why you? Wouldn't anyone else do?" asked Rey.

"Plagueis is . . . my father . . . and my genetics run through Ben," answered Ani.

"They run through Rey, too," mentioned Leia, upset.

"Which is why she _must_ be trained by Luke. She must learn how to resist Plagueis—his lies, the dark side, the temptation for power," cautioned Ani. "On this all depends." Ani reached out with his Force barrier and smoothed the hair on Rey's head. "Rey is our only hope in defeating this disease called Plagueis."


	53. Chapter 53--May the Force Be With You

**NOTE: I just uploaded Chapters 52 and 53 within in a few hours of each other. Make sure you read Chapter 52 first.**

* * *

 **CHAPTER FIFTY-THREE**

The next morning Rey ate a silent breakfast with Leia, pondering the words of her granddad. _Why didn't he tell me years ago? And what does he mean this Plagueis is his father, yet possesses people?_ Rey gazed at her mother again, pouring the stimcaf—probably her fourth cup this morning. Rey could feel Leia's worry—worry for Rey, worry for Ben, worry for them all.

More than once Leia opened her mouth to say something. And more than once she closed it again. She did not need to speak, because Rey could feel her emotions bleeding over. _It feels so good to be loved. Why do I have to leave now that I've found her? Why can't I have a normal life?_ wondered Rey, luxuriating in the love flowing across the Force. Rey could actually feel the Force more now, as Ani said, almost touch it, it was so strong in her. It spoke as loudly as her own desires. _And it's not just Ben, granddad said, it's me, too. I have to be trained to withstand this evil—to conquer this evil._

The Force brought the memory to mind of the video on Cloud City. What was it her granddad had said? "Join me, and I will complete your training . . . and bring order to the galaxy." _He wasn't talking about continuing the Empire. He was talking about a galaxy without Plagueis, a galaxy without evil, a galaxy that his grandchildren could live in peacefully._

Leia handed Rey a plate of something, Rey was not quite sure. "Thank you," she said, picking up a piece of bread and biting into it. Rey then grabbed the white rubbery thing and tore a piece off with her hands before stuffing it in her mouth.

Leia looked at her with a motherly look. "Use your utensils on the zered egg."

Rey looked at her, ashamed. "I'm sorry. I'm not used to this."

"It's OK. I know you come from a different experience. Wipe your fingers on the napkin—yes, that cloth right there. Now just follow my lead," instructed Leia gently, grabbing her knife and fork and slicing a small piece off her egg. Leia put the piece in her mouth and chew it quietly while Rey cut a large piece and shoved it in her mouth, chewing with her mouth open and trying to talk at the same time. Leia used her finger to indicate for Rey to be quiet. Then she tried something she had only done with Luke before, mindspeech. _Rey, wait until you're done eating that bite before you speak._

Rey's eyes opened in wonder that her mother spoke that way. She had only previously used mindspeech with Ani. _This isn't easy. I'm sorry. There are so many rules._

Leia replied, "It's OK. Just follow my lead. I was brought up in a Royal House. You were not. But, Rey, when you were little I did teach you some table manners. They'll come back to you when you're relaxed, and we've broken these bad habits."

"Does it really matter?" asked Rey.

"Yes, if you don't want to offend people. You might need to eat with your enemies one day—"

"I will never eat with Snoke!"

"I was referring to political enemies. Maybe even political allies. You can't afford to offend them with bad table manners," indicated Leia.

"But why now? I'm heading to Uncle Luke in just an hour. Who cares?" asked Rey, frustrated. It was all she could do to keep from licking the plate clean.

"I care. I care deeply about you. I see a future for you, when this is all over. A future with that young man in the Med Center, perhaps," remarked Leia. "And I don't want you to feel unwelcome here. I don't want you to run off to the other side of the galaxy with him because you feel out of place."

Rey set her napkin down and pushed away from the table. "I won't. I promise I'll be back. And the next time I come back, I won't leave you. You have my word."

Leia stood and hugged her daughter, hugged her like she would not let go. "Luke's waiting for you, and you need training—not just in table manners." She smiled softly and stroked her daughter's hair. "Bring him back, Rey."

"I will. I'll bring them _both_ back, Mother," promised Rey as she kissed Leia.

"Where's that vest?" asked Leia as Rey started to leave.

"I put it back in the closet," answered Rey, afraid she had done the wrong thing again.

"Wait. I want you to have it," stated Leia as she crossed to the closet.

Rey took it from her hand and replied, "Thank you."

"I bought it for you, weeks ago, when I was last on Hosnian Prime," admitted Leia.

"Weeks ago? You knew?" asked Rey.

"I _had faith_ that you would return," corrected Leia. "As I do now. So, do you like it?"

"I love it," answered Rey, fingering the material of the grey wool. _This would be too hot on Jakku. I hope that Ahch-To is cooler than Jakku._

"Do you want some other clothes? We can get you Resistance uniforms if you want to get out of those rags."

"I'm not part of the Resistance, Mother, and I don't want to be identified as one. These will do for now," answered Rey, trying not to be hurt by her mother's words. _She means well. She didn't mean to insult you._ Rey hugged her again and exited the quarters.

* * *

Leia followed her to the Med Center, watching from afar. Rey kneeled down beside Finn, who was still unconscious. She looked at him thinking, _I wish he were awake, so I could tell him why I will not be here, where I am going, why I have to this._ She leaned forward and kissed him on the forehead. "We'll see each other again. I believe that. Thank you, My Friend." Rey almost turned back and stayed, just until Finn recovered, but she knew she could not. It was now or never.

* * *

Leia followed Rey out to the tarmac. Chewbacca had agreed to go with Rey. He was not surprised when Leia told him about Rey being Han's daughter last night. Rey had laughed at Chewbacca's response: the Wookiee had known from the moment he met Rey on the _Falcon_ —something about her smell being similar.

Although Rey could not bring herself to call him "Uncle Chewie" as her mother had insisted Ben used to, she was glad he was coming with her. He owned the other half of the _Falcon_ ; and if Luke would not come back, then Rey would stay and Chewie would fly the _Falcon_ back to D'Qar until they called.

Artoo was to accompany them, as well. He wanted to see his master—he insisted Luke had programmed him to go. Whether he would return with Chewbacca was yet to be seen. _Whatever his programming ended up being, I guess,_ thought Rey.

She turned as she reached the ramp to look one last time at her mother, dressed in a regal blue dress, looking every inch the princess—no, the queen. _By rights she should be the Queen of Alderaan, possibly even of Naboo—but I seem to remember Naboo has an elected monarchy,_ thought Rey, her thoughts wandering, not wanting to deal with what was happening. Reality: she was leaving, leaving for training she needed. Rey wanted to run back into her mother's arms, but she knew if she did, she would never leave. She would stay here forever, and Ben . . . the galaxy would be lost forever.

Her mother broke the silence with one phrase, "May the Force be with you." _That's it. The Force. The Force is orchestrating this, so the Force will make it turn out all right in the end. Remember how Luke saved granddad. The Force did that to._

Rey could feel the love and the conflict within Leia to let Rey go again. Rey waved and turned around, heading into the _Falcon_.

* * *

Rey was shocked to find Chewbacca in the co-pilot's seat again. Chewbacca moaned _*It's yours. I don't like how that seat feels, anyway.*_

Rey smiled at him and flicked some switches for flight. As the _Falcon_ launched, Rey thought, _I'm coming back, Mother. They're coming with me, and Plagueis will be destroyed forever._


	54. Chapter 54--Rey

**NOTE: I have uploaded Chapters 52, 53 & 54 within the last 24 hours (9-13-16). Please make sure you read them all.**

* * *

 **CHAPTER FIFTY-FOUR**

As the _Falcon_ pulled out of hyperspace, blue octagons changing to streaming pins of light, it broke through above a blue planet. Rey piloted the ship through the clouds, gasping when she saw the planet below. _It's the ocean from my dreams. The ocean . . . and the island,_ thought Rey, hyperventilating. She brought the _Falcon_ in low across the water, generating a wake in her path, bring the ship into land at the bottom of the island—the only place it would fit.

Chewie stayed back with the ship and Artoo as Rey took her staff and headed up the six hundred plus steps. She could feel the Force strongly here; she could feel him here—Grand Jedi Master Luke Skywalker—her uncle—at the top. She could feel his pain as she climbed, his longing, his . . . fear.

After the first hundred steps, Rey stopped to catch her breath, looking at Chewie and Artoo below. Chewie roared something, encouraging her to keep going. Rey remembered these steps

She had climbed them hundreds of times before in her dreams. She knew right where her calves would start aching. She knew where she would find the box on the landing. She knew when she would start to pant. But one thing she did not know was what she would find at the top. Her dreams always stopped right before she reached the summit.

Rey pressed on past four hundred steps, her breathing coming harder, her calves burning. Five hundred. She had to stop. She could not move another muscle. This was so much harder than in her dreams.

"Rey, keep going, don't stop," encouraged Ani.

"I can't," she panted.

"You can."

"Can't. Too tired. Legs won't move," argued Rey.

"Then don't use them," stated Ani.

"The Force?" asked Rey, finally understanding.

"The Force."

Rey pulled in the Force from around her. _It's everywhere here! These rocks. Even the grass. Is this normal, Granddad?_

"For here, yes," answered Ani. "Rey, everything here will be a test, even these steps. Don't ever try to pass these tests in your own strength."

Rey nodded her understanding. Rey continued her climb, 550, 575, 600. Just a few more steps . . .

When she reached the top, she climbed the rest of the hill toward a plain of green turf. She stood about 30 meters from a grey-robed figure. His shoulders were bent over with care. Rey could see his blue aura blazing around him. He was looking at something out in the ocean, and then he bent his head down . . . and turned to her.

As he slowly turned to her, Rey moved a few more steps closer, her satchel around her waist, her staff in her right hand. Words were not necessary between them. They both knew why she was here. They both knew each other. Rey could feel through the Force their bond already, could feel what he had already started with her during those lost years of her life . . . her life before Jakku.

He removed his hood, revealing a mechanical right hand. The metal gleamed in the fading sun light. His grey beard and weather-beaten face revealed his years of anguish.

Rey shouldered her staff and reached into her satchel, removing the lightsaber. Rey held it forth, as an invitation—no, as her plea—to train her. They stood there for a long time, Luke staring her down, seeing into her. Rey knew he was seeing if she had what it would take—not just the training, but to finish this once and for all—to remove the evil thing from the galaxy.

Under Luke's intense gaze, Rey was tempted to look away. But she remembered Ani's words: everything is a test. She would not look away. She had no one else to go to. If he could not train her, then this galaxy would perish—it would be consumed by the dark. Billions would be enslaved to the worst kind of slavery . . . slavery to the dark side and Plagueis.

And then she saw it. He moved his head. _Was that a nod for yes? He's breaking. He's accepting it. He can't deny it. This_ _is_ _his saber._ And then she heard it. She was not sure if he actually voiced it or spoke in her mind, but she heard his voice filled with longing, "Rey."

* * *

 **To be continued . . .**

 _ **Author's Note:**_

I was planning on ending the story here, but I have had positive feedback that the readers want more. As I went through the TFA scenes, I gained a sense of what logically must follow in the next episodes. I need to plot the outline first. I know the climax and denouement for both VIII and IX, but I have to figure out how we get there.

Ani will still make appearances, but probably not as frequently. Relationships between all of the family members will be explored, especially with the theme of forgiveness. Please be patient.

Also, if you haven't had a chance yet, could you please leave a review on your favorite chapter? Please, it means a lot to me.


	55. Chapter 55--Master Luke

**CHAPTER FIFTY-FIVE**

Grand Jedi Master Luke Skywalker reached forth his mechanical hand and took the saber from Rey's left hand. What felt like an electric shock pulsed through her body as he took it. She was not sure if it was from the hand malfunctioning or the Force itself. She could tell Luke also noticed the shock, but he did not appear surprised.

He studied the saber, turning it over, looking for . . . something. He hefted it in his left hand, and then he brought it into ready position, turning it on with his right metallic thumb. The saber pulsed to life, humming in rhythm with his aura . . . or maybe his aura adjusted to the rhythm of the lightsaber.

Rey stood there, watching, wondering when he would speak. It had been minutes since he had taken the saber, but he acted as if she were not even present. She gasped, though, when he discarded his robe and began to move with the saber, flowing with the Force, moving in the air, jumping, tumbling, slicing through the air. It was not so much a demonstration, but a test of the weapon. Rey could feel that from him.

He came down from his last aerial tumble and landed in front of Rey, shocking her. He extinguished the saber and handed it back to her without a word. He turned from her, grabbed his robe, and headed down to a terrace of stone cells.

Rey followed, not sure what was going on. He ducked inside one and sat cross-legged on the cold ground. Rey could not believe how much colder it was on this planet. She had shivered up on the summit, and this stone cell was no warmer. She had no idea what she was supposed to do . . . sit down, wait on him, give him the saber again.

The master directed her to sit down with his left hand. He was on the packed clay floor. That was all there was to offer.

The cell was quite small. Rey had to bend over slightly to prevent hitting her head on the ceiling while she stood. She saw against the north side of the circular room his bed roll. He was using a pack stuffed with fabric as a pillow. In the center of the room under the roof hole was a small stove made of the same bricks as the cell. Its pipe extended through the hole, removing the exhaust from the room. A few books were stacked by his bedroll, but beyond a few dishes and utensils by the stove, the room held nothing else.

A pot sat on the stove, bubbling. Her uncle looked at her again, with his intense eyes. Rey was confused. "Do you want the saber or not?"

Luke just nodded at her as he dished out the soup. It smelled tantalizing, with chunks of fish, cubed root vegetables, and some greens. Rey's stomach growled. "Are you coming back with me or not? Chewie and Artoo are waiting."

Luke just looked at her, sizing her up. Rey could feel he was waiting for something, but she did not know what. Then she heard the _Falcon_ launch, leaving without her. She was frightened, abandoned again with a strange man on an isolated planet. It was happening all over again!

"Well, I don't know what's going on. I came here because mother said you would train me, but now I'm not sure if I want to be trained by you," accused Rey. "Do you even know how to speak?"

Luke looked at her seriously and finally spoke. "Patience, Young One. All will be revealed in time. For now, eat."

His voice revealed the damage caused by the harsh conditions on this planet. It was coarse. Although, when Rey thought about it, she was sure she could hear some youthfulness still in it. He definitely was not old and decrepit like she thought he would be.

"I don't even know what to call you," mentioned Rey.

"That is yet to be determined. Go on, eat. Tell me what you think about the soup," urged Luke as he took a bite himself. "Mmmm. Maybe a little too hot, still, hmm?"

Rey blew on her spoon and sipped the soup. She had never had soup before, nor did she even know what fish was. _Maybe some creature that lived on this island, or something,_ she thought as she tasted the broth. "It's good. Very good." She took another taste, this time with the meat . . . fish. "I like it, but I don't know if I'm a good judge. This is only my fourth meal made from real food."

Everything inside her was screaming to get on with the training, that there was no time to waste. Snoke was out there, ready to take possession of Ben, of her. And instead they were sitting here talking about soup.

Luke did not say another word while they ate. Rey moved impatiently at her seat on the hard clay, feeling the cold seep into her bones. Rey finished her food first, and she prevented herself from licking the bowl clean just in time. She sat, impatiently, waiting. _How long do I have to wait?_ she wondered. She could not hold it in any longer. "How long until we start?" she asked.

"Not long. Not long at all," answered Luke mysteriously as he sat in front of her, his dish to his side.

Rey felt his peace, peace like she had never felt before. She calmed herself, feeling the Force roaring around her in this place. Feeling it as a pond saturating Luke in his peaceful state. She reached out to grab it, but she had no use for it.

"You feel it? Let it saturate you," directed Luke.

"It's not that easy. I have no place for it to go," argued Rey, frustrated.

"Become at peace and let it flow in and out of you at its own will. It wants to join with you," indicated Luke. "It wants to consume you. Let it."

Rey calmed herself again, just feeling the Force, dropping her inner walls, even the walls she did not realize she had up. It was easy to do with Luke here. She felt completely at ease with him now, not afraid, not anxious, not in a hurry, just there. And she found a bond between them she had only barely perceived before. It was a strong bond, and it was not merely a familial bond. It was a Force-bond created . . . when did he create it? Rey closed her eyes and thought back, letting the Force delve into those occluded memories

She saw him, younger and in an orange flight suit . . . like her doll. They were on a space station. He was holding her—she must have been very young. He put his hand on her forehead . . . and then all was black.

As Rey opened her eyes, Luke nodded at her. "Now tell me, why do you want to be a Jedi?"

Rey was taken aback by that question. _Everyone wants me to be a Jedi. Wasn't that enough?_ "My mother wants me to bring Ben back."

"No, I didn't ask what your mother wanted. I want to know why you want it," urged Luke.

Rey thought about it. _Do I really want this? What if I don't pursue this path? . . . Plagueis . . . he will win. I will be worse off than untrained, but is that enough for me to go through with this?_ "To stop Plagueis."

"Are you afraid?" asked Luke.

 _A Jedi is not supposed to fear, but I can't lie to him. I do fear Plagueis. I fear what he will do to me, what he will do to Ben, what this galaxy will become if he finally possesses the seed of Skywalker._ Rey nodded.

Luke nodded in acceptance. "Good. Only the stupid don't fear Plagueis, but he can be overcome. He can be vanquished. Will you see it through, even if you fear?"

"I will. I will not stop until he is defeated or I am," declared Rey with vehemence.

"Are you sure? Once I start training you, there is no turning back. And it will be hard. You may be injured . . .You may suffer anguish . . . You may lose your sanity . . . All that you know may never be the same," cautioned Luke.

Rey thought it over, tried to imagine the worst before her, and replied, "I am sure. I will not fail you."

"You will," replied Luke. "You will, but it won't be the end." Luke took the bowls and stacked them next to the fire, the soup already drying in them. Then he instructed, "You asked me a question. I will answer it. You may call me Master Luke, but I hope one day you will call me Uncle Luke." Luke scooted over to his niece seated next to him on the clay and hugged her. "You see, my wife made me swear I'd treat you like my own daughter, the daughter we lost, and the son we lost—both to Ben."

"Uncle Luke, perhaps that's why I am here. I need a family, and so do you," mentioned Rey, holding onto him, too. "And maybe one day we can bring Ben back to a family that loves him. Maybe we can be a real family again: you, me, mother, and Ben . . . and granddad."


	56. Chapter 56--Granddad Again

**CHAPTER FIFTY-SIX**

Rey awoke in the middle of her first night on Ahch-To cold—freezing cold. She did not realize anyone could be so cold. She shivered in her beehive stone hut, listening to the rain pour and the wind howl. There was no door to her cell, just a doorway. The wind was blowing the rain inside, hitting her occasionally. _Rain, that's something new, too. How do people deal with this? I'd rather be broiling under Jakku's sun._ She tried to gain some warmth by pulling her legs up to her chest and wrapping her arms around them, tucking the blanket in, but her teeth still chattered.

After an hour, of this, she gave in and got up. It was still pitch black out, and the clouds obscured the moonlight. Feeling through the Force around the chamber, Rey found the cargo crates her uncle had pointed out earlier. She had refused to change her clothing at the time, not wanting to lose the only thing familiar. "Be honest, Rey, you did not want to fully give in to this new life. You're afraid of where this will lead," Ani mused.

 _"_ You're not helping, Granddad. Help me get this crate open before I freeze to death. How can it be so cold here?" asked Rey.

"It's not that cold. You should try Hoth. Even I was cold there under my lifesupport suit. The circuits started freezing before I got out of there," remarked Ani in her head as he guided her to the latches on the case. "Flip those latches up, and then lift the lid," indicated Ani.

"Thanks," replied Rey as she opened the crate. Feeling with her hand, she lifted the first item out of the case. "What is this?"

"A tunic. It fastens in the front. These are Padawan uniforms," informed Ani. Rey pulled the tunic out and after turning it around a few times successfully shoved her arms through the correct holes and fastened the wool uniform. "There should be some trousers as well," mentioned Ani. Rey found them and put them on backward the first time. By the time she was dress properly she was slightly warmer.

"Check the other crate. There might be a robe or jacket or something in there," suggested Ani. Rey opened the other crate and found a hooded long jacket. She wrapped herself in it, sealing all but her nose within it. Now, this was warm.

"Thanks, Granddad. Now if only I could banish the dreams . . ." mentioned Rey as she climbed back onto the wood pallet stuffed with turf for a mattress.

Ani sat down near the head of the bed, he positioned his body so that she could lean against the Force-barrier he made with his body. He stroked her head and covered her with the blanket. "Just like old times, Rey," mentioned Ani as she fell asleep.

"I love you, Granddad," mumbled Rey as she fell back to sleep in relative warmth and comfort. "Maybe this won't be so bad, after all."

"Hush. Sleep. You have a tough day tomorrow," comforted Ani.

* * *

The next morning Rey awoke lying flat on the bed. Ani was gone. In the daylight streaming through the doorway, Rey could see that the bed was nothing but a few shipping crates cut and welded together. Her mattress had been turf—green, moist, and full of soil. She stood up, stretching, trying to remember anything from the night before.

Her clothing felt different. She inspected it—steel grey trousers and tunic under a steel grey long coat with a hood. She looked at the toes of her socks, realizing they were poking through the ends. _Guess I should stop being so stubborn and get with the program_ , mused Rey to herself. She could feel the awareness of Master Luke floating around this whole place. He knew she was up, and he was waiting for her. Rey quickly removed her old scavenger clothes and redressed. After finding some new socks in one of the crates, she slid on her boots and grabbed her lightsaber—her lightsaber. _It's so odd to think of that as mine. At least Granddad's happy I get to keep it._

* * *

Rey followed Luke's awareness to the summit of the island. She could tell that he was meditating to the sound of the waves and the birds. No, he was talking to someone, too. _I thought this planet was deserted. Who is it?_ Rey's adrenaline shot up as she neared the locale. She stood behind him a few meters back behind the rocks that rose to her right.

A beautiful woman with long black hair was dressed in robes similar to Master Luke. The woman stood on thin air. _Is that possible? Can someone just stand like that?_ Then a cloud shifted, revealing the sun. The light shone through the woman, and Rey knew she was seeing a ghost. She could just barely hear the conversation.

"It's been too long, Naluma," spoke Luke. "I need your help. I haven't done this in over a decade."

"You can do this, My Love. You did just fine training me. Start with the basics," suggested the ghost.

Luke smiled, remembering the time he and Naluma worked through advanced training on this planet. He had started back at the basics then. He could do it again. "Levitation and shielding?"

"Levitation and shielding," remarked the woman with a warm smile and a slight nod. "Each day you train her is a day closer to returning Ben to the light, a day closer to your coming to me."

"Oh, Naluma, how I long for that day," uttered Luke with deep feeling.

"I know, but you know it's not time yet. Plagueis must be destroyed. Don't lose sight of the task," cautioned Naluma. As she faded away, Jedi Master Luke Skywalker raised his hand toward her, straining to touch the ephemeral being.

Rey spoke loudly, interrupting Master Luke's farewell, "Granddad could show you a thing or two. The Force-barrier he uses isn't exactly the same as touching each other, but it's close enough for me."

Luke turned around quickly, seeing her. "Oh, you're up. Hungry?" Rey nodded. "Come on, then. Breakfast before shielding."

* * *

 **Author's Note:**

Not sure who Naluma is? Please read my trilogy. She first appears in Chapter 4 of _Star Wars Ep VI-2: The New Republic_ and continues through the end of the trilogy.

Why did I not choose to use Mara Jade? Mainly because everyone from Star Wars Story Group has verified (even as recently at Star Wars Celebration Europe in 2016) that Mara Jade will never become a canon character. Since she was doomed to live in Legends, Naluma came to life.


	57. Chapter 57--Nothing Is Impossible

**NOTE: I uploaded Chapters 56 and 57 in the last 24 hours (9-16-16). Please make sure you read both.**

* * *

 **CHAPTER FIFTY-SEVEN**

Breakfast was ration packets, similar to the ones that Rey had eaten on Jakku, but the meat was brown, not green. _Granddad, don't let me mess up this time,_ begged Rey silently. Last night she had realized a little too late that she should have not asked questions.

 _Just watch for his cues and listen with the Force_ , guided Ani.

Now she sat patiently, waiting for Master Luke to make the first move, give the first direction. He grabbed the bowls from last night, spooning the meat inside and setting the bread on top. "This is the best I can do for a hot breakfast. Sorry," apologized Luke.

"This is all I've ever eaten for 14 years, Master. Except my meat was green," mentioned Rey. "Are you sure this isn't spoiled?"

Luke smiled. "I'm sure. Yours may have been, though. Most meat is not green. Taste this. These still have three years of shelf-life left."

* * *

After breakfast Master Luke led Rey down to the landing field. She could see the remains of an X-Wing fighter bouncing in the surf below the surface. Rocks were strewn around this site. What looked like the remains of a garden could be seen where the _Falcon's_ feet had not pressed down on the turf.

Luke sat fluidly on the turf, waiting for Rey to join him. After reigning her thoughts back in, she seated herself on the ground. She knew what was required of her: emptying herself of herself and allowing the Force to flow through her—just like last night.

When Rey had accomplished the task, she found Master Luke smiling at her in pride. _I did it right! Granddad, I did it right!_

Luke spoke in her head, _We need to work on shielding, but later. Cut out the chatter._

 _Yes, Master_ , replied Rey via mindspeech. She could feel her Granddad lurking in the vicinity, too, his pride flowing over.

"Bring me that rock," ordered Luke while pointing at a square stone not too far away.

Rey stood up, thinking this was another test on obedience.

"No, not that way. Use the Force," instructed Luke.

Rey lifted her hand and used her emotions to pull the rock toward her, but it would not move. She tried again, and again, and again. And she failed again, and again, and again. "Stop," ordered Luke after the third attempt. "Let go of yourself. Don't command the Force to do it. Suggest. When you have no urgency, the command does not work, but the suggestion does."

"So, it's tied to your emotion?" asked Rey.

"Partially, but mostly it is tied to the what is currently happening. It wants everything to remain at peace, to allow the Force to flow through everything where it is. When you are strong with the Force, your adrenaline rush in battle powers your command to it. When you are at peace, your other hormones must work with it. Suggest it move to you. Treat the Force like a living entity," explained Luke.

"That's not how Granddad explained it," argued Rey.

Luke looked sternly at Rey. "I'm not my father. We have different styles. Try it my way, please. And, Father, stay out of this." Ani harrumphed but kept silent through the training. He did not leave, though.

Rey lifted her hand again in a soft gesture and closed her eyes She suggested to the Force to bring her the rock. She could feel the Force swelling toward the rock and then back to her. When she opened her eyes, the rock was in her hand. "So, the Force can refuse a command?" asked Rey.

"That's not really what's happening. But you have to get used to the Force flowing out of you and back to you. The suggestion helped you move the Force around. Just a different method. When you were in battle, you focused all of your energy, sending the Force out to the saber and then calling it back to you. Because of your adrenaline, it moved quickly. Now, it moves more slowly, because there is no urgency with the wielder," instructed Luke. "Try it again. This time, bring all of the stones together, making a ring out of them on this turf, with us inside it. Do not leave any gaps between them. Use the Force to tighten them together."

* * *

It was harder than it sounded. Rey had to find the stones first. Some were easy to find, in plain sight, but others were half-buried under turf. She was not allowed to get up. When she had finished her first ring, Master Luke made her build a second ring, and a third. By the fourth ring, she was having to disassemble an empty cell at the top of the hill and bring it down to her construction. By the time they reached midday, they were trapped in the small cell. She had completed it, but there was no door.

"How do we leave?" asked Rey.

"You tell me."

Rey walked around their little prison. "I'm not allowed to take it apart?"

"You may take some of it apart, but the structure must still be structurally sound," informed Luke.

Rey decided to take off the last few layers so that they could lift themselves out of the top. As soon as she had removed three layers, Luke stood under the hole and quickly levitated himself out of the cell. Rey waited for him to do the same to her. "Hey, I'm still in here!" she screamed, but Luke had already climbed up the stairway to grab his meal. "Granddad!"

"Rey, I can't interfere. You heard your master," spoke Ani.

"Well, what am I supposed to do?" asked Rey.

"You just had a demonstration. I would suggest you duplicate it."

"I can't. I'm not strong enough yet," argued Rey.

"It's not about you but about the Force within and around you. Call it to you, Rey. Let it empower you. Then, nothing is impossible," directed Ani.


	58. Chapter 58--Lightsaber Drills

**CHAPTER FIFTY-EIGHT**

Rey stood at the top plateau, lightsaber in hand, eyes focused on Master Skywalker as he demonstrated the first positions in saber fighting.

"Hold it with both hands like this." Luke gripped his saber with his right hand on top of his left.

Rey adjusted her grip from the staff grip she was using. _This transition is harder than I thought it would be,_ she griped to herself.

Master Skywalker activated his blade, the green blade hissing to life. Rey activated the blade in her hands, tracing figure eights in the air. "There are six basic parries: high outside, high inside, head, low outside, low inside, and prime," he indicated. He demonstrated while he faced her. "High outside, high inside, head, low outside, low inside, prime. All other moves are based on these basic six. Now you try them."

Luke stepped back and watched as Rey executed them clumsily and backward. "Try again. Here, I'll stand with my back to you. Follow my movements, even the footwork as you move."

Rey tried to follow him, but got messed up in the middle. She moaned in frustration.

Luke stopped his movements and admonished, "Return to peace, Rey. Don't let your emotions rule you. Now again, Outside high . . ."

Rey calmed herself and followed his movements. She concentrated just on the forms, although they felt so odd compared to her staff movements. More than once that afternoon she found herself wishing for her staff and not the lightsaber.

Master Skywalker continued the drills, seemingly tirelessly. Rey's back and shoulders ached, even burned. "Watch your footwork. As you move with your arms, your feet move, too. Your body should learn it together. It should be second nature. Do it again, with the proper footwork this time," he instructed, not even looking back over his shoulder at her.

 _He must be observing me through the Force. How else would he know how I'm doing with his back turned to me?_ thought Rey.

Ani spoke in her head, _Rey! Pay attention to your footwork! If you move too short, you will overreach and lose your balance. Focus!_

 _Not you, too, Granddad!_ complained Rey as she grunted through the movement. _I'm about to collapse_.

 _You think that won't happen in a duel? It was only a few days ago, Rey. You're never at your best in a duel. Keep going. Pull in the Force—_

Master Skywalker swiveled at the point and went on the attack. Rey stumbled and then regained her balance. She pulled her saber up just in time to avoid being struck. And then she realized he was attacking in the pattern. All she had to do was to follow the pattern. Outside high—

"Do it over and over again until your _muscles_ learn the moves," urged Luke patiently.

After the twelfth time, Rey was getting a rhythm to it. High outside, high inside, head, low outside, low inside, prime. After two passes, Master Skywalker encouraged, "Good. You're getting it, now. Watch your feet. You're overreaching."

Rey adjusted, feeling the weariness consume her. She closed her eyes and allowed the Force to flow through her, filling her with additional strength. Luke sped up the pattern, throwing an additional stroke in occasionally. "Good, you're using the Force. It's good for more than just strength, though."

Without warning, Luke changed the pattern. He kept his strikes to the six basic forms, but they came in a random order. Rey found herself barely defending against his blade. "That's not fair!"

Luke extinguished his blade, and with his hand on his hips asked, "What? A different pattern? In a duel, there will be no pattern. You must anticipate."

"Anticipate? Through what? Instinct? Body language?" asked Rey, upset.

"Partially. But mostly you will use the Force. You're a pilot. Have you ever had to leave somewhere quickly or make a sudden move with the controls?" asked Luke.

"Yes," answered Rey, not knowing what piloting had to do with saber fighting.

"And you did, just in time, didn't you?" asked Luke.

"Yes . . ." replied Rey.

"That was the Force. It will give you split-second insight and timing if you let it. If you don't, it will cost you your life," instructed Luke. He raised his hilt and ignited the blade again, "Ready?"

Rey moved into the ready position and grinned back at him, "Ready."

Luke swung at her, time after time. She did not always meet his attack, but he always pulled his stroke just in time to prevent injury. After a few minutes of defending, she struck back. Her body instinctively moved to staff forms, which were clumsy with a saber.

"Stop. Stop," directed Luke. "Not like that."

"Why? It works with a staff," argued Rey.

"Not with a saber. You don't have the weight of the other end of the staff to balance you. You'll end up falling into your opponent's saber," replied Luke.

"It worked on Kylo Ren," debated Rey.

"That is because Ben Solo never paid attention in his saber classes. Trust me, there are other Knights of Ren who are much better with a saber than he is, even if their Force-wielding is not as powerful," instructed Luke. Rey looked at him, shocked at the new information. "What? You thought you would only have to deal with Ben Solo? You may have to deal with the entire Order of Ren before you get to him. Snoke won't let him be in harm's way so quickly. Now again. This time use the proper forms."

"Yes, Master," agreed Rey, purposing to train her body to this new way of fighting. _And this is just my first day! How much worse will it get?_

Ani replied, _You don't want to know. But you can handle it. Just don't give up. And, Rey, learn quickly. Your brother needs you._


	59. Chapter 59--Lesson Learned

**NOTE: I have uploaded chapters 57, 58, and 59 in the last 24 hours. Please make sure you read them in order. 9-18-16**

* * *

 **CHAPTER FIFTY-NINE**

It had been two weeks already, and Rey just wanted to leave. She was tired of the cold. She was tired of training. She was tired of everything. But one thing kept her going—the threat of Plagueis. If she left, her brother would be lost and she would be in danger. If she stayed, both would have a chance.

Today was not going well, either. Well, to be honest, no day had gone entirely well yet. She was frustrated. Master Luke was calm but worried. Granddad was silent, honoring his agreement to stay out of the training.

Today, as the rain poured down, Master Luke made her climb to the pinnacle of the island—a slippery boulder. It would have been easy to do, except for the rain. The rain made every handhold and foothold slimy. Gripping with all of her might, her hand slipped again. She fell back to the plateau, caking herself in water and mud. Master Luke just stood there, his arms crossed. Rey looked at him and turned back to the pinnacle.

As she climbed, she wiped her hands on her uniform, streaking it with mud. She was able to get up a few meters higher this time, almost halfway up, when she began to slip again. She dug in with her feet and reached out with the Force to sustain her. She was able to stop her slip and hold herself in stasis using the Force. _He's smiling_ , thought Rey. _He hasn't smiled all week. He's smiling. I must have done something right._

Rey reached above her and grabbed with a ferocity at the boulder. She used the Force to find a hidden handhold and pulled herself up. _I'm going to make it! I'm further than I've ever been before! I'm going to make it!_ thought Rey as she climbed closer to the peak. As she pulled herself up on the top of the boulder, the boulder rotated downward, sending her crashing back to the turf.

Master Luke crouched near her, examining her for injury. Other than a few bruises, she had survived. "Get up," he ordered.

"Again?" asked Rey, twisting and stretching her sore back and arms.

"No. Run down the steps and back up. Now," ordered Master Luke.

"But I might slip and fall. Those steps are treacherous in the rain," objected Rey.

"Then I suggest you don't," mentioned Luke, indicating with his eyes that she was to begin.

Rey hauled herself up off the ground with a belligerent attitude and started pounding down the steps. The footing was treacherous. As she loped down the steps her granddad reminded, "Everything's a test, Rey."

"I know. I'm not very good at passing them, either, it seems," remarked Rey as she moved through the rain, her hair plastered to her scalp, her buns drooping.

"You need to approach these tests in a different manner. I mean all of them," hinted Ani.

Rey said tersely, "Just tell me what you mean. I'm too tired to play these games. It's bad enough with Master Luke." But he was gone.

Rey reached the bottom of the Great Causeway within a few minutes, her knees and back hurting from the jostling on the steps. And she knew that her calves would be burning next as she climbed—no, ran—the steps.

When she reached the top, Master Luke just indicated with a hand signal to run them again. Rey turned around and started the process over. This time some of the steps were not just slick with mud but had become mud puddles, splashing mud up and down her on every step. Rey struggled down and back up again, her calves burning, her energy spent.

At the top, Master Luke stood, the rain streaming down his beard and hood. He indicated with his blue eyes to do it again.

 _He's impatient with me. What am I supposed to be doing? Haven't I done this enough? I'm so tired. I don't think I'll make it back up. Am I being punished?_ thought Rey as she headed back down.

At the bottom, she collapsed in the mud beneath the stairs, her legs cramping, unable to move another step. She sat there, draped over the two bottom steps, out of all energy and will. And yet she could still feel Master Luke waiting up above. Waiting for her. _I can't do this on my own_ , whine Rey to her granddad.

 _Then don't,_ responded Ani.

 _That was a big help,_ berated Rey. Yet, she felt the Force flowing around her, through her, just passing in and out. She grabbed it and harnessed its power. With her first step, she revived. She made the pass quicker than before and continued to the boulder. She stopped when she reached the pinnacle, standing with her arms outstretched, feeling the Force flow through her and empower her. _This was what Master Luke was trying to teach!_

She stood at the top, looking out past the clearing clouds to the little islands scattered around this one. As Rey reveled in the Force, Master Luke joined her on the pinnacle. She jumped in shock when she realized he was there.

"Did you learn the lesson yet?" asked Luke.

Rey nodded. "I never had to do this in my own strength."

"Never," agreed Luke with a warm smile of pride in his Padawan. Then he jumped to the plateau and ignited his saber as the wind whipped bitterly at his wet robe. Rey jumped to the plateau, using the Force to cushion her drop, and ignited her saber as well.


	60. Chapter 60--Advanced Saber

**NOTE: I published Chapters 57, 58, 59, and 60 within the last 24 hours or so. 9-18-16**

* * *

 **CHAPTER SIXTY**

Rey stood at the top plateau again, lightsaber in hand. She moved her arm out in front of her, twisting the saber down. She quickly pulled the saber back to her right with a twirl, using the movement to gain momentum to raise the saber above her left shoulder and spin it around her head as she moved her body in motion with it. As the saber came back to her right shoulder, she grabbed it with her left hand as well. She swung the saber across her body to her left again, bringing it down, and rotating it back up with her right hand—but she dropped it. She saw Master Luke grimace. Today, he was seated on one of the rocks, observing her practice.

She started again, dropping it early. And again. And again. After a dozen attempts, Rey finally passed the rotation above her head. She then brought it down across her left side with a single-hand rotation. Holding it straight out from her right side, she crouched low and then jumped to the left, striking at her imaginary opponent as she jumped. She had completed the entire exercise! Finally, without error, she had done it!

"Well done," congratulated Master Luke with his warm smile.

 _That smile, I live for it now, it seems, and I so rarely see it. He has a way of wrapping the smile in love and approval that goes straight to my soul. I wish I could make him happy more often,_ thought Rey.

 _You do. He just doesn't always show it. He doesn't want you to get cocky,_ mentioned Ani.

 _How would you know?_ asked Rey, setting up for another pass through the exercise.

 _You're not the only one I talk to._

"Again." Master Luke was a man of few words during training. Although at night when training was completed for the day, it was a different story. Each evening Master Luke became Uncle Luke, and Padawan Rey become Beloved Rey. She would tell him about her life on Jakku, and he would tell her about her family. It was during these evening talks that Rey found out Grand Jedi Master Luke Skywalker was just as human as she was and that he had a wicked sense of humor. The talks were not always about family, though. Sometimes he taught her Jedi history, showing the bad along with the good in history. She sensed he was of two opinions about the continuance of the order.

Rey's thoughts returned to the task at hand as she felt her arm dip in her form on the first pass. _Parallel to the ground, Rey_ , instructed Ani. _All right, now whip it around—don't let your elbow drop. That's right._

Rey completed the exercise and ran through it a dozen more times until Master Luke and granddad were both satisfied with form, speed, and muscle memory. Rey knew her practice was over when Master Luke stood and ignited his green saber. She also knew, he might not test her with the newly learned sequence first. He was way past doing the expected with her. He expected her to use the Force to anticipate every time they faced off together.

Master Luke started his first pass with a basic opening move, high outside at her head. She anticipated and blocked, adjusting her feet and arms in one movement. Master Luke smiled at her. He continued the battle with standard forms in a random pattern, and then he attacked with the new sequence. Rey barely kept up with him, as the old Jedi spun and struck with passion. Master Luke never ceased to amaze her. She knew he was holding back, as well.

Rey pulled in the Force and allowed it to speed her movements, anticipating where he would go next. The battle intensified as Master Luke displayed a new sequence Rey had never seen before. He struck left and right, spun, and delivered a kick, sending her to the ground.

Rey used the Force to regain her position and attacked with fury. Master Luke executed a disarmament move, but it failed. She had moved her feet just at the wrong time so that his saber connected with her shoulder. Rey expected pain. Instead she felt tingling.

Master Luke stood down, extinguishing his saber. "Enough for now. Always use the Force in the battle. You have to anticipate the moves with it. If you anticipate with your mind, you will be tricked, and you will be hit."

"Why does it tingle?" asked Rey, rubbing the creeping flesh.

"Power dimmer," stated Master Luke.

"Does mine have one?" asked Rey, looking at the hilt for additional controls she had missed.

"No. Yours was made by my father long before the dimmer control was invented," informed Luke. "So don't lop my hand off, okay? I've had to replace this one twice already."

Rey looked at him and smiled. "Then you'd better just watch yourself, because I am taking you out, Master Skywalker." She raised her lightsaber and started the first pass on the attack this time. This time, Master Luke was scrambling to defend himself as the blades made contact.


	61. Chapter 61--Force Visions

**CHAPTER SIXTY-ONE**

Rey awoke screaming, finding her grandfather with his arms around her and Master Luke in front of her, reaching his hand out to her head. "Get out of my head!" she screamed.

"Shhhh. Rey, it's okay," calmed Ani. "He was just bringing you out of it."

"It wasn't real?" asked Rey, damp with sweat and truly frightened.

Master Luke nodded his head no. "Force vision. How long have you been having them?"

"Years. Usually, just this island, or the vision I had on Takodana," explained Rey.

"You were projecting this one. It woke me," mentioned Luke.

"I'm sorry," apologized Rey. "I never meant to—"

"No. Don't apologize. Was this the first time you had seen this?" asked Luke.

"Yes. I don't quite remem— Oh, I saw you. I saw you . . . die," stated Rey. "And then he was going to kill me—" Luke just stared at her, the moonlight beaming in through the hole in the ceiling casting eerie shadows in her hut. "You're not even upset!"

"Relax. Force visions change, as other circumstances come in to play. The future is always in motion," instructed Luke. "Don't think this has to happen just because you saw it happen."

"How can you be so calm?"

"This isn't the first time I've seen my death. And it won't be the last time. But the visions have changed throughout the years," explained Luke.

"But aren't you afraid?" asked Rey.

"Afraid of what? Of death? I will become one with the Force. I will rejoin my wife, whom I miss desperately," admitted Luke. "There is nothing to fear in death, as long as you follow the light."

"I don't understand. I thought granddad was forced to be a ghost to atone for past deeds," said Rey.

"No," remarked Ani with a laugh. "I _get_ to be a ghost because I turned to the light, Rey. If I had stayed in the dark, I would be confined in the dark spirit world for all eternity," explained Ani. "As a follower of the light, my essence joined with the Force, and I am allowed as a servant of the Force to apparate at will and help the Force bring forth its will."

"Tell me about your dream," prodded Luke.

"I was fighting Kylo Ren. We often fight in my dreams. This one went quickly, though. I killed him instantly," spoke Rey. "And then this deformed being came out of the shadows— and then you were there, fighting this being. He used lightning on you—I didn't know we could do that, by the way. He mentioned something about no one being there to save you this time and that he would finish you off properly. You extinguished your saber and yelled at me to run as you absorbed the energy and burned."

"That was Snoke. He's sending these visions to keep you off-balance. Ignore them," directed Luke.

"What about that lightning?"

"It's a dark side power," mentioned Luke.

"Can it be countered?" asked Rey.

"I'm not sure," admitted Luke. "I've only dealt with it once myself. Let's just say, I was shocked." He smiled, chuckling at his bad joke, trying to lighten the mood. Rey smiled back.

Ani spoke up, "There are two ways to counter Force lightning. The first is your lightsaber. It will absorb and deflect it. But it is limited to the plane that the blade is aimed at. Lightning has a tendency to spread out in a semi-circle. The other way is a Force-barrier deflection, but the power exerted to create the barrier often drains the Jedi before the opponent can be vanquished."

"So, there's hope," mentioned Rey.

"Yeah, there's always hope," agreed Luke.

"How can we practice a defense against it?" asked Rey.

"Only way to practice the defense is to be subjected to it," informed Ani. He looked at Luke.

"Don't look at me. I'm not touching it, if it's dark side," argued Luke. "Besides, I need to learn how to defend myself against it."

"Please, Granddad," pleaded Rey.

"I don't know if I can do it in this incarnation," mentioned Ani. "I am part of the light, now. And, no, I'm not calling Dooku back from the spirit world. He can stay there and rot, as far as I'm concerned."

"You could do that?" asked Luke.

"This conversation is going places it shouldn't," mentioned Ani.

"How is a power of the Force considered to be the dark side? Doesn't it matter about the intent you use it for? I mean, when I use my saber to defend myself or others, it is of the light. But if I use to attack a helpless person, it is of the dark. The saber is neither light nor dark. It is neutral. The light and the dark come in when the wielder uses it. Shouldn't that be the same with this Force lightning? It is a tool and nothing else," debated Rey.

Ani looked at Luke, "She does have a sharp mind. Reminds me of Padmé. What do you think?"

"Logic seems right. I guess we can find out tomorrow when you give us a demonstration," replied Luke with a twinkle in his eye.

Ani opened his mouth to retort, but Rey spoke first, trying to stave off an argument between the two. "How about we discuss this in the morning? I could use some sleep," mentioned Rey with a yawn.

"Morning then, Father. We'll meet you on the plateau after breakfast," agreed Luke.

"Wait! I didn't say I was going to do it—"

Luke winked at him as he left the little hut. Ani muttered a few things about duplicitous children before wrapping his arms around Rey and shielding her mind from any Force visions for the rest of the night.

* * *

 **Author's Note:** I definitely did not think this chapter would end up with Force lightning. It's amazing how the writing process takes you on journeys you never expected. Next chapter ought to be electrifying.


	62. Chapter 62--Force Lightning Training

**CHAPTER SIXTY-TWO**

Rey stood at the ready—half-crouched, lightsaber in hand, nervous. Master Luke stood behind her, tensed. He knew what was coming next. She could only imagine. Neither were thrilled.

Ani spoke to them both, "This could kill you. At the very least, you will absorb some of it, and it will hurt you. Are you sure you want to go through with this."

"Yes!" they both agreed at the same time. Rey was sure she would lose her nerve if he did not do it now. She was not sure what her uncle felt.

"Why don't you activate your blades first? That way the lightning will be drawn to it," suggested Ani.

"It won't happen that way in battle, Father," argued Luke.

"Yes, but this isn't battle. Let's work up to my electrocuting my offspring, okay?"

Luke ignited his lightsaber and brought it up diagonally across his body. Rey followed suit. Ani lifted his hands, and nothing happened.

"What's wrong?" asked Rey.

"I wasn't sure I could do this," explained Ani. "I've never used Force lightning with the light side before. This is . . . odd."

"So it's not because you're a ghost?" asked Luke.

"I don't think so," mentioned Ani, concentrating again. He closed his eyes and allowed the Force to swirl around him. Rey and Luke could see the blue tendrils encompassing him and passing quickly through his body. He lifted his hands and looked like he was going to paint with his fingers as the lightning emerged.

Luke and Rey jumped back in unison, raising their blades. A few bolts made it through, piercing through their uniforms and charging their skin. Rey quickly adjusted her blade, as did Luke. It was so frightening and beautiful at the same time that Rey had a hard time concentrating on holding her blade steady.

"Watch it, Rey," cautioned Luke as her blade dipped and a bolt caught her wrist. Rey raised her blade again just as Ani stopped the bolts.

"Well, that was fun," remarked Ani. "Was it the same, Luke?"

"It felt the same, just not as much at once," mentioned Luke. "Rey, can I use your lightsaber this time while you observe?"

Rey handed the saber over to him. It responded to him instantly, clicking to his metallic hand while he held the green in his left. "Father, attack me only this time, with both hands. I want to try something." Luke held the sabers parallel to each across his body as a shield, absorbing all of the bolts. It was hard to hold them in the right position, though.

"Give me a minute, Father," directed Luke. Ani lowered his attack as Luke adjusted the sabers to a reverse hilt grip.

"No, not like that! I will not allow my son to pick up bad grip habits like Ahoska did," insisted Ani. "Grab them properly, or I won't continue."

"Father . . ." started Luke.

"Luke," reprimanded Ani. "I will not participate any longer if you don't grab the hilts properly. Wielding two blades is no excuse."

"We have never drilled with using two blades against Force lightning. This could be the proper way," debated Luke.

"But they'll be in the wrong position if someone attacks you with a saber," argued Ani.

"Father, if someone is attacking me with Force lightning, I doubt anyone else is going to jump in and attack me with a saber. They could get electrocuted, too," debated Luke. "Please, let me just see if it works better."

Ani stared him down, blue eyes to blue eyes. "I never could say no to Ahoska either. Padawan! Spare me!"

Luke lifted the blades into position, the blue blade above the green, arms crossed, and hilts reversed. As the bolts struck, the blades absorbed. But then, with a flick of his wrist, Luke was able to send the lightning back toward his father. It proceeded through his body to the rock behind him. "Yeah, it is working. Rey, I want you to try now. Once it starts absorbing, flick your wrist toward him. It will deflect it back."

Rey took the blades from Master Luke and obeyed his instructions. She quickly caught on to the wrist flick and smiled as the lightning headed toward Ani's rock. "It is easier this way."

Ani looked at them both as he lowered his hands and rolled his eyes. "Of course, you would think that! Why do I always get Padawan who like that reverse hilt grip? Why me?"

"Just lucky I guess?" asked Rey impudently.

"There's no such thing as luck," replied Ani, less than thrilled. "As if Ahoska was not enough torture for me, now my offspring are doing it! Why?"

"Father, who's Ahoska?" asked Luke.

"A mischievous little Togruta that I had the displeasure of training when she was a Padawan . . . and a good friend," explained Ani. "But that is a story for another day. Back to this unorthodox defense against lightning." Ani raised his hands and threw the lightning at them.


	63. Chapter 63--Saber Gems

**CHAPTER SIXTY-THREE**

As Rey grabbed the freshly-risen bread from the stove, Master Luke rummaged around in a cargo crate on the other side of his tiny hut. As she served the meat and bread for their breakfast, rain splattered in through the vent hole in the roof. It was pouring again, and it was decidedly colder. Uncle Luke had mentioned something about it being winter right now. Rey tried to remember what she had learned about climate cycles, but it was fuzzy. Of course, Jakku had climates: hot, hotter, hottest, and windy. She guessed it was colder and wetter here on Ahch-To during winter.

As she sat down in her spot as the learner, she placed both plates in front of her, Master Luke's a little bit in front of hers. She waited for him to come over before eating. As her stomach growled, the wait became more intense. It was odd having to wait to fulfill her own needs out of respect for another. On Jakku, she ate, drank, and slept whenever she wanted to.

Finally, after many minutes, he turned to his food and walked over, carrying a small metal case with him. Master Luke sat down and tore a hunk off his bread, gnawing on it heartily. Rey took a piece of her own and ate quietly. That was the morning ritual—no talking—just eating and feeling each other through the Force—determining mood, energy level, health. Rey could tell that Master Luke was brimming with energy and excitement. He was also developing a cough in this wet weather. She finished her meal and waited for him to take the lead.

When he had finished his meal, he licked the plate clean. "Ready?"

"Yes. You know my mother would hate you for licking your plate clean, don't you?" asked Rey with a smirk.

"What your mother doesn't know won't hurt her. Besides, she wouldn't hate me, not really. But I'll keep that in mind for when I really want to annoy her," remarked Luke with a twinkle. He laid his plate to the side and grabbed the small metal case that had captured Rey's attention all during the meal. It was a heavy case made of hard grey metal, about half a meter square, maybe a little larger. It was at least 12 centimeters deep.

He waved his hand over it and the lock sprung open, sliding the lid to the left and revealing a selection of precious gems. He spread a piece of black cloth on the floor and carefully emptied the box onto the velvet. Luke motioned to the stream of sparking gems and offered, "Pick one."

A piece of sapphire gleamed in the firelight from the stove. It kept winking at her, almost calling her. "Make sure there are no fingerprints, grease molecules, or other contaminants on the gem. Use the cloth to wipe them off if need be," directed Luke.

Rey took a piece of cloth from the bottom of the box and carefully picked up the sparkling sapphire. "Where did you get all of these?" asked Rey, trying to calculate the value of the collection with Unkar.

"Here and there," remarked Luke. To Rey's disgust, he was entirely too much like his father when he did not want to give an answer. Luke replaced the gems in the protective bag and stored them back in the curious case.

"What's this for?" asked Rey.

"You'll see," mentioned Luke with a grin, teasing her. He exited the hut and let her ponder her new gem, buffing any fingerprints and surface scratches. She blew some hot air on it, allowing it to fog up, and then buffed it some more.

When Master Luke returned, he was soaked. It was _still_ raining. It had not stopped since the night before. Rivulets raced down the causeway of steps, washing a few out. Master Luke carried a large cargo case and set it in between them. As he cracked open the seals, the lid lifted of its own power, revealing a jumble of parts. Slid into a compartment in the lid was a hand-drawn diagram on torn and faded parchment. Beside it was a black cloth which covered cylindrical tube.

Master Luke took the diagram out and laid it in front of Rey. "You want me to make this?" asked Rey, incredulous.

"It is a task every Jedi must master, the construction of a lightsaber," confirmed Master Luke. "If you are going to defend against Force lightning, you will need two sabers. But these instructions are just the beginning. These were from my Master Obi-Wan Kenobi. They include a Khyber crystal, of which none other exist except for a few in the hands of the First Order. You have a sapphire. It will work as an optical device, but not as a power source. You will need to add a power source to your saber as well, and a dimmer control."

"What about you? You'll need two sabers, too," asked Rey.

"I have two. It's time this one came to life again." Luke reverently removed the cylinder from the black bag and revealed a black hilt with a silver grip toward the base. Luke looked up above Rey's head, at something. Rey turned and saw the ghost of his wife, nodding her agreement. Rey caught a tender smile pass between them both as Master Luke ignited the saber, sending a violet blade above his head. "This was my wife's. The last day it was ignited was the day she died. I swore I would never ignite it again except in peace or to save your brother, not kill him."

Rey understood then. What her mother and granddad had told her was true. Her uncle had almost killed her brother, and it seemed he still fought with the desire. "Master, tell me what happened. Tell me about the Purge."

Luke looked introspectively at the saber, remembering the friction between Naluma and Ben, remembering the weeks he was pulled away, remembering the warning signs he missed over and over again. Remembering the images of the Purge: the bodies of the Padawan and Jedi strewn across the Temple site, Naluma dying in his arms. Remembering her funeral pyre, standing vigil all night with Artoo. Remembering the guilt. "I can't."

"Please."

"I can't tell you what I wasn't there for. I only know the results. I only know the battle that followed. I only know the creature within me that was worse than Ben. I only know that I was one strike away from becoming the creature I despised the most: Vader," admitted Luke.

"No. You didn't kill him. You restrained yourself," pleaded Naluma, appearing again. "Luke, you used to tell me that being a Jedi did not mean you were immune from these feelings but that you could conquer them. And you did conquer them. And you continue to conquer them."

"But what if I one day I don't? What if I give into the rage, into the vengeance, into the loneliness and despair?" asked Luke to Naluma as he started to return it to its protective case.

Rey took a step back, not sure if she should even be witnessing this conversation. Seeing the chinks in her uncle's armor was frightening. _Wasn't he invincible? Wasn't he the pinnacle of morality, the perfect example of self-sacrifice?_ thought Rey.

Ani thought back to her, _He's just a man, a man who lost his Force-bonded love to a dark creature, a man tempted beyond control each and every day._

Naluma continued persuading, "I won't let you, Luke. I'll stop you before it comes to that. Please, use the saber. It will be one more thing that will draw us together. It's spent too long in that case. Give it life again, My Love."

"I will only use it in defense, to honor you," promised Luke. He deactivated, and using a Pilex Driver, removed the grip from the hilt. "This is the first saber with a dimmer control. It also has a power source. Use it as an example, but don't take it apart."

"Yes, Master," agreed Rey as she started rummaging through the case for the needed parts.

* * *

 **Author's Note:**

Not sure who Naluma is? Please read my trilogy. She first appears in Chapter 4 of _Star Wars Ep VI-2: The New Republic_ and continues through the end of the trilogy.

Why did I not choose to use Mara Jade? Mainly because everyone from Star Wars Story Group has verified (even as recently at Star Wars Celebration Europe in 2016) that Mara Jade will never become a canon character. Since she was doomed to live in Legends, Naluma came to life in my story.


	64. Chapter 64--Back to the Staff

**AUTHOR'S NOTE: I've uploaded Chapters 63 and 64 in the last 24 hours. Please read them both. (9-24-16)**

* * *

 **CHAPTER SIXTY-FOUR**

Rey woke up to sunbeams streaming into her hut . . . and her granddad standing at the foot of her cot, apparently waiting for her. As she rubbed the sleep from her eyes, he greeted, "Good morning."

"'Morning," mumbled Rey.

"Let's get moving. I need to show you something before your uncle wakes up," mentioned Ani.

"What? He's not up already? How early is it?" asked Rey. Luke was usually up and meditating hours before Rey each day.

"Come on and bring your staff," urged Ani. Rey clipped on both of her lightsabers to her belt, grabbed her jacket and her staff, and exited her hut into the brisk morning with the sunbeams shining through the remnants of the clouds.

Ani led her down the causeway. Rey had to carefully pick her way down the steps, jumping over a few and using the Force to levitate herself over the washed-out sections. She was grateful she had her staff to help maintain her balance.

"Where are we going?" asked Rey.

"The storm unearthed something that I think we can use," indicated Ani as he led her to the tip of the island. "There!"

"It's just a rock, Granddad. You brought me here to look at a rock? You're as bad as Uncle Luke," said Rey.

"Enough. Take one of your sabers and slice the tip off of it," instructed Ani.

As Rey bent down, the saber on her left hip attached itself to the rock. It was stuck so firmly, she could not break free from it. "Unclip that one from your belt," instructed Ani. "Then use the Force to remove it from the rock."

"The rock is magnetized?" asked Rey, finally understanding.

"Yes. The lightning storm hit it a few times. The iron in it magnetized. Slice the tip off about 5 centimeters down, so that the tip is flat," directed Ani.

Rey took out her new saber and sliced the tip off of the rock. It was almost a pyramid in shape on the southern tip of the island. The rock stood about two meters above the lower plateau of this end of the island. Nothing was higher than it for at least 50 meters. She picked up the removed tip and tossed it in the air, feeling the weight of it. It was heavier than she thought it would be.

"Set that aside. We don't need it. Now, I want you to slice another piece off, parallel to the first cut, about 3 centimeters down," indicated Ani. "No, a little lower. The blade will consume part of it. You want a piece 3 centimeters thick when you're done."

Rey moved her blade and cut the piece. When she was done, it looked like a small, flat cylinder. It was at least 2 kilograms in weight, maybe 3. "Now what?"

"Attach it to the base of the hilt of your new saber," instructed Ani. Rey followed his direction. "Now attach the base of my saber to it, joining the sabers together."

Rey did so and activated the sabers together. She swung them around a bit with simple staff forms, but she had to catch herself as she moved one hand a little high on the hilt and almost cut herself. She deactivated them and accused her granddad, "You knew, didn't you? Back when you taught me the staff on Jakku?"

Ani nodded his head. "But I don't think your uncle knows. Let's surprise him." Ani winked and Rey giggled, luxuriating in the bond with her granddad. She could feel it now, that Padawan-Master bond she shared with Master Luke, she also shared with Ani. Maybe it was because of the familial relation, too, but there was definitely the training bond as well. "Now, so you don't slice your hand off inadvertently, put the sabers down and grab your staff. We'll start with basic forms and start adjusting your grips to be closer together." Rey set the joined sabers down on the turf and hefted her staff. "Ready, begin. 1, 2, 3, 4. 1, 2, 3, 4. 4, 3, 2, 1 . . ."

Rey started her regular drills. It felt just like the cellar on Jakku. "Argh!" she growled as her hands slipped further apart. "But with the further grip, I won't have the leverage I need, Granddad."

"You'll have the ability to cut and won't need the strength behind it. Besides, you should be using the Force. Even when you don't think you need it, use it. Let it move you. Let it direct your movements," instructed Ani.

Rey continued her techniques, moving into her spins and turns. It had been weeks since she had worked out with the staff, since Jakku at least. Her shoulders burned, as different muscles were used in some of the staff movements than the saber movements. _This feels so much more natural to me. I hope it will work well with the sabers. I hope Master Luke will be pleased._

"You're slipping again with your left hand. Bring it closer," directed Ani. "Footwork, too. Good. Good. I think this will work."

* * *

After an hour workout, Ani finally let her try it with the sabers. "Put your new saber on stun and move it to the lower position. Now, let's start slowly through the staff forms and adjust as we go. 1, 2, 3, 4; 1, 2, 3, 4; 1, 2, 3, 4; 4, 3, 2, 1—spin, drop, 3, 1, over the head, jump. Good! Work them in. Now disconnect and start your dual saber technique."

"I can't. The magnet's too strong," complained Rey as she stopped. Ani just looked at her, rolling his eyes. "I know. Use the Force. It's going to take a little bit of time to get used to this, Granddad."

"Well, don't take too long. the First Order is making plans and about to implement them," warned Ani. "You have to be ready, Rey, and soon!"


	65. Chapter 65--Then Make Me Ready

**AUTHOR'S NOTE: I've posted Chapters 63, 64, and 65 in the last 24 hours. Don't miss one. (9-24-16)**

* * *

 **CHAPTER SIXTY-FIVE**

When Rey headed up to the summit, she heard his cough before she saw Master Luke. He was sitting on the damp ground, dressed in his robes, meditating. Rey turned aside into the hut and started the breakfast preparations. "What's wrong with him, Granddad?"

"It's the Force-lightning. He took a large amount of it when he was younger, and our training with it has had some negative effects on him. The first bout aged him—all of his body, leaving him susceptible to the cold and wet. He's initiated a healing trance. Just leave him alone for now," explained Ani.

"We can do that?" asked Rey as she scooped her breakfast onto a plate.

"It's an advanced skill, and not without its drawbacks. Sometimes it's just easier to let your body heal on its own, but he knows we don't have the time," explained Ani.

"Well, what am I going to do while he's doing that?" Rey asked impatiently.

Ani rolled his eyes. "Patience, Rey. Don't ask me what to do. Use the Force to direct you."

"How?" asked Rey.

"Sit here. Become at peace. Let the Force move you, guide you," instructed Ani.

Rey lowered herself back to the floor and started her relaxation exercises. She luxuriated in the Force flowing through her. It took minutes of remaining at peace, long minutes that seemed longer. When she was in this mode, her sense of time altered.

Her mind focused on her mother. She could see her, at the Resistance Base, worried. Lights were flashing, people were scrambling. The base was shaking as bombs hit it. She woke herself out of it, screaming! "Granddad! I must leave! Please, they're under attack! Mother!"

"It's the future you see," informed Master Luke, standing at the door, the sun behind him casting his figure in silhouette.

"The future?"

"It has not happened yet, and it may never happen. The future is always in motion. Don't let it scare you," cautioned Luke.

"But my mother. We have to go to her!"

"No, we can't. Not yet. You're not ready. If you go now, all will be lost," warned Luke.

Rey challenged, "Then make me ready!"

* * *

Luke led her out to the summit plateau. "Father, would you oblige us with some lightning?"

"I thought you'd never ask," agreed Ani with a smile. "But not immediately. Spar together first. Two blades on two blades. I'll bring the lightning in when you least expect it. Then join together and battle me."

Luke raised his blades, green and violet, both in a ready position. Rey pulled hers up as they both circled, waiting for the attack. Luke attacked first; Rey pushed him off. He attacked again, spinning, his blades working in tandem but not in unison. Rey was forced to split her arms, defending her legs and her head at once. One thing was certain, the healing had worked. Master Luke showed no impediment now.

Master Luke broke off the charge and pulled his sabers in for a quick attack. Rey quickly attached her sabers into a staff, catching him by surprise. The natural movements of the staff work gave her additional smoothness. Her quick moves countered his, forcing him back against the boulder. He jumped up, levitating himself to the boulder, reconsidering his new situation. Rey gave him a brief moment to catch his breath before jumping up to him and attacking. 1, 2, 4, 3, spin, jump, back swipe, overhead into a leg swipe. Master Luke was kept on his toes.

As he panted, she pressed on her attack, disarming his green saber, sending it over the boulder onto the summit plateau below. Master Luke pulled the violet lightsaber up, moving in double-speed to block each swipe of the dual blade. As Rey was about to bring in a death kill, Ani jumped in and hit her with the Force-lightning. Rey quickly detached the sabers and absorbed the lightning.

While Ani was focusing it all on her, Luke grabbed his green saber with the Force and joined the defense. He purposefully jumped in between Ani and Rey, drawing the lightning to himself. Ani dropped his attack immediately and said, "No, Son. You have mastered this technique. Rey has not."

"Father," chided Luke.

"No. Not the lightning. It's destroying you, Luke," informed Ani. Luke looked at his father, knowing what he said was true. He nodded his acceptance. "You must save yourself for the battle that is coming. On this, all depends, Luke," warned Ani.

"Yes, Father," agreed Luke. "Rey, let's work some strategy with your dual blade. I have read of a Sith Lord using one of these, but never a Jedi. Let's have some fun."


	66. Chapter 66--The Temple

**CHAPTER SIXTY-SIX**

Rey sat in the middle of her hut, fiddling with her staff. She had chosen two additional gems from the container in Master Luke's hut, and she was altering her staff as a secret weapon. When she would finish, one small recessed button would activate the blades on either end of the staff. _I just hope Master Luke won't be upset that I took the gems without asking,_ she thought as she continued to work on the placement of the wires to the activation button. _At least Master Naluma kept him distracted for me. I wish I could have known her when she was alive. She seems to be having as much fun planning this surprise for Master Luke as I am._

She flicked the button, and both ends sprung to live with blue short blades. She picked up the staff and started her exercises with it.

"Good. Good," acknowledge Ani, appearing behind her. "No, keep your hands in tight. You may be switching between weapons. Let's keep it tight so you don't cut off a hand. Enough people in this family have lost a hand already."

Rey looked at him, questioning.

"It seems to be a family trait. I suggest avoiding it as long as possible," remarked Ani.

"Sounds like a plan," agreed Rey as she spun her staff.

"This should be your weapon of last resort. The blades are short, and your natural striking position will slow someone down, but not kill," indicated Ani.

"You don't like it?" asked Rey.

"I didn't say that. I think you did a fine job on it. I just don't think that it will ever replace your sabers," indicated Ani. "He's coming. Put it away."

Rey quickly deactivated the staff, shouldered it, and met Master Luke outside her hut. He nodded to her and led her down the causeway.

* * *

They continued about a third of the way down to the middle plateau. Master Luke maintained a garden on this level, as well as an outdoor shower. He ignored both but moved toward the only other structure on the level: a large gathering hut—or so Rey thought.

"What's this?" asked Rey. She felt cold all at once, as well as identifying this structure as the source of the additional Force on this island.

"The Temple," mentioned Luke.

"I feel cold," indicated Rey. "What's in there?"

"Ghosts of the past, your fears, your hopes, the Force," spoke Luke. "Enter."

* * *

Rey cautiously entered the building, taking gentle steps, hoping not to awake any evil specters. She heard noise to her right and to her left. She turned quickly, holding the hilts of her sabers. "Who's there?" she asked quickly. She moved down the corridor, peering in the darkness. "Show yourself, coward!"

She moved slowly to the end. As she followed the corridor as it curved around the beehive shape, she saw her. It was her mother, standing at the end of the corridor. "Mother!" she screamed and ran toward Leia's open arms.

As soon as she reached her mother, a dark figure appeared out of the shadows. "Never!" screamed Kylo Ren, racing toward Rey with his blade drawn.

Rey interposed herself between her mother and her brother, drawing both sabers. Kylo struck at her head. She blocked his attack with the dual blades.

"No! Don't fight! Remember the goal, Rey! Save him!" begged Leia, moving out from under her daughter's protection. "Ben! It doesn't have to be this way! Please!"

Rey thrust out, spinning around, bringing her sabers together with the magnet, attacking the creature.

Kylo Ren took a step back, analyzing the situation. "Impressive, but there is a defense." While Rey attacked in a windmill motion, Kylo twisted his blade on the lower end of hers, catching it out of her hand and sending it flying. "Silly girl." Rey pulled her staff off her back. Kylo laughed at her and taunted, "What good will a staff be against my blade?"

Rey started her attack, activating her blades at the last minute and thrusting one through his heart. She stood there, holding the staff while it pierced his heart and he gurgled. Leia screamed, "No! You were both to live!"

"I couldn't let him kill you, Mother," defended Rey.

"He would never kill me, Rey," spoke Leia. "And now, Snoke will win. You are lost, Rey."

"Never!"

"Only together could you ever hope to defeat him," mentioned Leia.

Rey kneeled down and cried. When she lifted her head, the area was an open room and the only one present was Master Luke. "I failed," stated Rey.

"I know. But now you know how to defeat Snoke. On this all depends," mentioned Luke.


	67. Chapter 67--Don't Be Deceived

**CHAPTER SIXTY-SEVEN**

Rey woke screaming in the middle of the night. It was the scene from the Temple yet again, mixed with her other dream. It was urgent! It was now! She had to go now, or all would be lost!

She raced out of her hut in the darkness to her uncle's hut. Without even the courtesy of a knock, she hurried inside . . . she thought she would have to wake him, but instead she found him sitting on his bed, "holding" the ghost of his wife in his arms. A few days before Ani had shown Naluma how to build a Force barrier. It was not quite the same as real touch, but for Luke and Naluma it was closer than they had been in 14 years. His face was content, almost joyous as he sat there. Rey was sure they were carrying on a private conversation via mindspeech, but she had no choice but to interrupt.

"Master, I must leave. Can't you feel the Force? Does it not spur you on?" asked Rey.

Luke released Naluma and nodded.

"Well, then call Artoo back," pleaded Rey. "The First Order is starting their invasion."

"They haven't arrived yet, Rey. They are starting their preparations. We still have a time," corrected Luke.

"And I'm telling you, we don't," argued Rey. "Where's your communicator? How do I get off this planet?"

"There isn't one," informed Luke. "At least not like you're thinking." He rose from the bed roll on the floor and slowly led her out of the hut. Naluma followed them, hovering nearby. Luke's glowlamp gave off just enough light to lead them down the causeway to the lowest plateau, where the _Falcon_ had landed months before.

The crashing of the waves seemed even louder at night in the darkness, but the moon shone brightly overhead. Luke led Rey to the western edge of the plateau, where the waves buffeted against his crashed X-Wing. "There!" pointed Luke.

"That ship will never fly again, Master. The salt water has corroded too many parts," objected Rey.

"Even so, raise it," instructed Luke.

"It's too big," argued Rey before she even started.

"How will you know that unless try?" asked Luke.

"You're the one telling me to either do or don't do it," said Rey. _We have to leave, now! How stupid could he have been to have exiled us both here. That ship is not worth the effort._

"Then do," answered Luke calmly.

Rey took a deep breath and brought herself into relaxation. She allowed the Force to move within her, and then she lifted her hand toward the fighter. The craft lifted, draining the water. Rey opened her eyes as it continued to lift, a smile broaching her face. The agonizingly slow process was maintained until she brought it to rest in the center of the plateau. The plateau instantly sunk underneath its weight and the weight of the water still draining.

"Excellent!" yelled Luke. Naluma beamed brightly in exuberance as well. Luke moved to the craft and ran his hands over the fuselage. He used the Force to hoist himself on top of the nose and to pop the canopy. More water ran out. "Go get a bucket so we can bail this thing."

"Yes, Master," answered Rey as she started to run back up the causeway.

* * *

Once they had bailed out the cockpit, Luke jumped inside and started flicking switches. Nothing worked. "It's all still waterlogged," mentioned Rey.

"Well, then, let's fix it," remarked Luke, with more energy than Rey had seen in years. "Follow my lead, Padawan." Luke closed his eyes and pushed the Force through the inner workings of the cockpit. "You take the engine compartment." Fine spray purged itself from the craft, turning into a fine mist. "Now heat the air within the compartment."

Steam rose from the seals of all of the compartments; but after a few minutes, it was dried out. Luke flipped a few switches, and the console lights turned on. The engines would not fire, but that was not what he needed. This craft was probably not spaceworthy, and he was not going to risk any living creature to confirm that fact.

Luke flicked a few more toggles, one a couple of times; and the comm system came to life. Rey jumped up and held her position with a grip on the cockpit edge and one of the footholds on the side of the fuselage. She smiled as she saw the communicator come to life.

Luke tuned in a particular frequency. "That's not the Resistance frequency," corrected Rey.

"I'm not calling the Resistance. Artoo always monitors this frequency," explained Luke. A few beeps returned over the damaged speaker. At least it was binary. It did not sound that different than usual. "Artoo, it's Master Luke." The droid chirped a happy greeting. "It's time. Have Chewie bring the _Falcon_ , immediately. We're coming home." Artoo ran off a string of binary at him as his servo gears started and spilled over the signal. "See you in a few days." The call ended.

"That's it?" asked Rey.

"That's it," answered Luke.

"What about the attack?"

"I transmitted in code the pending attack. They're fine right now. He will notify Leia and then find Chewie. I suggest we pack up and be ready," suggested Luke. He stopped, looking to Naluma. She nodded at him, approval of something. "Rey, remember the Temple?"

Rey nodded, scared.

"Remember what Leia said? You are to save Ben above all things. Tough choices will have to be made. If you make the wrong one, all will be lost. Follow the Force in all things."

"What? What's going to happen?" asked Rey.

"Too many options right now. The future is swirling swiftly. There is a cloud, a cloud of the dark side over it. Don't let anyone deceive you," warned Luke.

Ani appeared at this time. "Rey, Snoke knows who you are. He has known since you were born. He was settling for Ben, but now he wants you. Do not be deceived by him. He will tell you things that will tempt you, but they will be lies. Please, stick to the plan, and save your brother."

"I will. I will not fail either of you. There is nothing Snoke can say or do that will make me turn," vowed Rey.

"Rey, when you think you are infallible, that is when you will fall," warned Luke.


	68. Chapter 68--Back to D'Qar

**CHAPTER SIXTY-EIGHT**

Luke hauled a few crates down the causeway, including the crates that contained the gems and lightsaber parts. As he joined Rey, she noticed a change in his clothing—he now wear a black uniform similar to the dark grey one she had worn.

He caught the question in her mind and explained, "This is the uniform of a Jedi Warrior."

"Do I—" asked Rey.

"You must pass your trials first, Padawan," answered Luke, interrupting her question. "You are not a Jedi yet."

Rey's mood passed from shame to discouragement. "My trials?" asked Rey as the _Falcon_ approached the lower plateau.

"The five trials: skill, courage, insight, flesh, and spirit," informed Luke.

"I can understand how I will be tested in skill, courage, flesh, and even insight; but what about spirit?" asked Rey.

"That is the one I fear the most for you. This is a time when you will be tempted by the dark side. Whatever you do, remember what you have learned," urged Luke.

The _Falcon_ 's landing made it impossible to hear whatever else he was going to say. Rey reached her hand forward and lowered the _Falcon's_ loading ramp before it reached the ground. She and Luke dragged the crates on board, urging Chewie to take off immediately. The only two on board were Chewie and Artoo. Artoo was plugged into the control panel at the back of the lounge area, controlling the secondary controls while Chewie piloted.

Rey and Luke joined Chewbacca in the cockpit. After punching in the coordinates for D'Qar, he activated the hyperdrive. The cockpit screen turned from the blackness of space to the blue of hyperspace. Chewie moaned something to Rey.

"What's he saying?" asked Luke. He never was able to understand Shriywook and had depended on Han or Threepio for translation.

Rey replied, "He says they First Order had not arrived when he had left, but he wants us ready for a battle when we enter the system. Artoo will pilot, he will operate the ventral cannons and mandible array while we man the quads."

"Artoo's going to fly this thing? Is that safe?" asked Luke.

"Well, Artoo cannot fire weapons. It's against his programming," mentioned Rey, and then she realized he was testing her yet again. "Besides, he is an astromech droid. I'm sure he flew your X-Wing more than once."

Luke smiled at her, proud she had caught his subterfuge. Her insight was good. "Yes, more than once. He's not too bad at landings either." Artoo beeped something rather cheeky at that point.

Rey looked at Luke and asked, "You crashed your X-Wing?"

"On Dagobah. Hey, there was a lightning storm and all our instruments were dead," defended Luke.

Artoo beeped some more while Chewie moaned something. "And a snow speeder? Master, I thought you said you were a good pilot."

"That was not my fault. It was in the middle of a battle, Chewie! If I recall, the _Falcon_ took some hits as well, at Hoth," joked Luke.

* * *

As they came out of hyperspace in the Ileenium System over D'Qar, the planet was surrounded with Star Destroyers, Cruisers, and hundreds of squadrons of TIE fighters. Artoo plotted a steep insertion angle, straight through the fighters, hoping that between the _Falcon's_ advanced shields and the crew's shooting, they would be able to clear a path down to the planet.

Rey yelled at Luke, "What is with this seat, Master?" as she swung wildly from side-to-side.

"Stop fighting it. Feel it with the Force and let it glide you to the right position. You've got one coming over the top. He just pas— that got him! Great job!" shouted Luke over headset.

Rey grinned. "Yeah, that was pretty good, wasn't it?"

"Don't get cocky. Four more approaching from mark 786 point 35," admonished Luke.

"You've got eight coming at you, Master," remarked Rey as she saw them cut across the axis of the ship.

"I see them!" yelled Luke, as he took out the first two in one blast. "Keep the gun level and work side-to-side. You start a vertical movement, and you'll lose all control."

* * *

As they landed on the base, Luke and Rey ran off the ramp before it was lowered, Rey grabbing her staff. The Wookiee roared something at Rey, and she replied, "I'll find someone. Get ready to take off!"

Bombs were falling all around the base, but then they suddenly stopped. All of a sudden, the ground shook as hundreds of walkers approached the base from the forest around them, firing at any remaining units on the ground.

Rey and Luke ran at top speed into the bunker, barely dodging blasts from the walkers and ground troops approaching. Parts of the roof had already collapsed from the concussion bombs, and the command center was in disarray.

Rey moved bodies, looking for her mother. She could feel her, but she was not sure where she was. A protocol droid sat in a corner, unable to move over the debris and bodies. "Master Luke! Master Luke! Am I glad to see you! I seem to have fallen and cannot get up."

"Threepio, hang on," announced Luke. Luke moved the droid with the Force.

Threepio complained, "What's going on? Master Luke, put me down. I don't enjoy flying like this."

Luke set him at the entrance to the bunker. "Go get on the _Falcon!_ It's on the deck!"

"I've always hated space travel!" argued Threepio as another piece of the ceiling fell in.

"There's about to be the enemy in here. Will you get going? Chewie will cover you until you get aboard. He's to take off as soon as you're aboard," instructed Luke.

"What about Princ—I mean General Organa?" asked Threepio.

"Just do what I say. I'll take care of Leia. Now get out of here!" ordered Luke.

Rey was across the room, continuing to look for her mother. "She's not in here. Come on. No one's alive in here, Rey. Use the Force," commanded Luke. "We've got the enemy in the next room. Get ready."

Rey joined Luke as they reached the blast door ceiling off the command center from the next room. Smoke, chaos, and explosions surrounded them as Luke opened the hatch with the Force.

In front of them stood six Knights of Ren, protecting one figure in the back. Rey tried to look through the smoke to identify the figure, but it was to no avail. It did not feel like Kylo Ren, so she wondered where he might be. Her wandering thoughts left her ill-prepared for the first strike from the Knights of Ren.

"Stop thinking, Rey! Let the Force guide you. Your thoughts must only be on that!" instructed Luke as he moved into position. Rey stood back-to-back with him as they began their defense, outnumbered 7 to 2.


	69. Chapter 69--The Curse on Our House

**Author's Note: I posted Chapters 68 and 69 in the last 24 hours (10-1-16).**

* * *

 **CHAPTER SIXTY-NINE**

Rey and Luke drew both of their sabers and defended with dual blades against the six knights. After a few passes deflecting the red blades, Luke directed through mindspeech, _Push them back. Use whatever you need to. I'll take these three, you get those._

Rey clenched her teeth together and swung her blades in unison, advancing on her opponents. They stepped back, but the left flank knight tried to circle behind her. Rey started a pivot and sliced him across the chest with her left arm, while her right arm blocked a unified attack by the other two.

She pulled her arms back together and lunged at her attackers with the point. She snagged the rear guard on his armor, the fabric smoking as it melted. Her dual attackers on the front pulled her blade down, almost disarming her. She reached out with her mind and pulled a concrete pillar that had fallen during the aerial attack. She threw it at the dual knights, taking one out entirely. Now there were two.

Rey felt with the Force Master Luke's battle across the room. He had moved his trio of knights a few meters away, almost into an alcove. It almost seemed as if he was being herded that way. She worried about him, about his health, about the disappearance of that seventh figure.

Rey was making little progress against her remaining two opponents. She calmed herself as she held her blades in defense, circling, waiting for her opponents to attack. Instantly, she raised her right blade and dropped her left blade behind her back, blocking the attacks. She swung her left arm in a swivel, successfully disarming her left opponent. She pivoted on her left leg and sliced her left blade through the knight, diagonally. The third knight used the opening, and pulled his blade up Rey's right side, searing her arm.

Rey almost dropped her blade as the pain ran through her arm. She pulled it with the Force into the locked position with the other blade, forming the dual blade. Controlling the new weapon primarily with her left hand, she advanced on the opponent. He fell back as the staff whirled toward him.

As Rey was about to administer the death blow, the entire room began to shake and hum with electricity. She glanced over to Master Luke on the other side of the room. Another figure had appeared as well. Now Master Luke faced off against four Knights of Ren and one Thing—it was the reptilian face she had dreamed of before. She watched as Master Luke brought the ceiling down on the three Knights of Ren, killing them instantly. Then he turned to the new figure.

The figure spoke with a rumbling voice, "Good. Good. But, sadly, not enough. Now, you must face me. And this time, your father is unable to save you. I will finish what I started."

Master Luke breathed heavily, bent over in exhaustion. "Do what you must, but I will never join you."

"I don't want you. Look at you—old and decrepit. You aren't the boy I knew thirty years ago, and I would not settle for such a weak specimen. No wonder you hid for fourteen years. You should have never returned, Master Skywalker," taunted the creature.

"I could not allow your evil to survive, Snoke" spoke Luke, advancing on the creature a few meters away from him.

"What, no respect? My title is Supreme Leader Snoke," teased the figure. "I address you by your title. I expect the same courtesy, Master Skywalker."

Luke deactivated his blades and stood his ground firmly. "Very well, Darth Plagueis. You are a plague upon this house and upon this galaxy. And I will do all I can to cure this plague."

"I do not have the luxury to allow you to live," taunted Snoke as he raised his hands and shot lightning at Luke. Luke raised his sabers just in time, absorbing the lightning.

"Impressive. Most impressive," agreed Snoke.

* * *

Rey barely registered any of Master Luke's fight as she continued her battle with her remaining opponent. As she struck him down, she heard Snoke's "Impressive." Rey turned to Master Luke, watching the lightning whip around his blades, hitting him in the legs and arms. She watched as his features aged before her eyes. She knew he was dying.

Rey hurried to assist him, but was prevented as yet another Knight of Ren entered through the blastdoor behind Snoke. This knight Rey knew. She could feel him in the Force. She could feel the animosity between them. She could feel the Force-bond between her and her brother.

"So, it's the scavenger! I see you brought the aged and infirm to your aid. Very wise, I see," taunted Kylo Ren. He pulled his erratic blade with the cross hilts and swung at her head. Rey raised her connected sabers to defend herself, quickly glancing at Master Luke as the Force lightning sent him to the ground.

Kylo Ren circled and swung at her with a one-handed overhead circle. Rey ducked and then jumped, lunging at him with her connected blades. She twirled them, pushing him back. His heavy-handed style could not keep up with her swirling blades. She scored a hit on his left shoulder; but he came back in vengeance, striking at her head. She easily avoided it by moving out of position a step.

Kylo Ren growled and attacked again. "You will never win. Give up!" he taunted.

Rey separated her blades in mid-swing and brought them at him from separate directions. While the right blade connected with his helmet, he was able to disarm her left blade and move his head just enough to take only a glancing blow to his helmet. Shaking his head to ward off the stars in his eyes from the blow, Kylo Ren advanced on her.

As the two fights continued, a squad of Resistance troops entered through the command center to find six Knights of Ren laid out on the floor dead, Supreme Leader Snoke and Grand Master Jedi Luke Skywalker engaged in a battle of Force-lightning—barely standing, and Kylo Ren towering over a fallen Rey. As he came in for the kill, one of the Resistance group ran out from the middle of the pack and jumped in front of Rey. "No! Not Rey! Be—"

As Master Skywalker collapsed to the ground, defeated, Snoke held out his hand at the group and built of Force-field to keep anymore of them out of the fight. Kylo Ren's blade came down with all of his strength, killing his mother. Rey moved out from under her mother's body, staring at Ren incredulously. Ren stood there, looking at his blade and his mother. He threw his helmet down and took his mother in his arms. "No, Mother, I never wanted to hurt you. Why? Why did you have to get in the way?" Tears dripped down his face, hitting the dead form of his mother.

Rey looked on, tears also in her eyes and hatred welling against her brother. Until now, she had held back her anger, but now she utilized as a new weapon. She raced at him with her grandfather's saber still in her hands, swinging at his head. "You killed her! Let her go, You Monster! We have unfinished business!" She reached out and grabbed her other saber from across the chamber.

Ren looked up at her, unsure why this scavenger would be so upset about the death of his mother. He barely defended against her attack, not able to get his footing. At this low angle, he had lost his height advantage. Rey hacked at him continuously.

Snoke spoke, "Good. Use your anger. Only with it will you be able to conquer your brother and take his place at my side. I have foreseen it."

Kylo Ren looked at Snoke, betrayed by his own master. Rey could tell that Snoke had known all along who she was, but Ren had not. Rey thought at Kylo Ren, _Foolish boy. You think you can mess with a scion of Skywalker and get away with it?_

Rey continued, pulling in the Force with all of her anger, attacking her brother. From blade use to kicks to throwing objects at him with the Force, Kylo Ren would not survive if she had anything to say about it. She relished using the Force with her anger. What she once could not reach, now she had. She threw one more piece of equipment at him, sending Ren to the ground, unconscious.

Rey moved in to kill him, but her arm froze in mid-swing. Snoke yelled, "Release her! You know the penalty for interfering, Anakin. You will release the spirits of the dark side if you continue."

Anakin appeared, looking at the still forms of his son, his daughter, and his grandson. Lastly he spoke to Rey, "It was never to be this way, Rey." And then he was gone.

Snoke smiled and cackled. "Good. Now I have a worthy apprentice—not that whiny brat with half-developed skills. Come with me, Rey, and I will show you things of the Force your Masters have never even dreamed of. And when you have acquired those skills, I will teach you the best of all, how to make sure the ones you love will never die again."

Rey stood there, looking back at her brother, her uncle, and her mother . . . and then at Snoke. Something drew her to Snoke, something akin to the bond she felt with her relatives. Could she be related to this Master of the Darness? Rey extinguished her sabers and turned to him. "Show me, Master."

A voice from the Resistance squad trapped behind the Force-field yelled, "Rey, NOOOOOO! Don't go!" Rey looked at the man. Her face softened as she recognized Finn. She took a step toward him.

Snoke reminded, "They will all die, but only I can show you how to save them. Come."

Rey walked away, leaving Luke, Ben, and Leia crumpled on the stone floor, and Finn clawing at the Force-field to reach her.


	70. Chapter 70--Escape from D'Qar

**Author's Note: I uploaded Chapters 68, 69 & 70 in the last 24 hours (10-1-16). Because of how the story has turned, this story will now switch point of view based on which scene we are in. This scene is the first scene not from Rey's point of view, but she is coming back. Please be patient. **

* * *

**CHAPTER SEVENTY**

As Snoke and Rey exited the chamber, the Force-field fell. Finn raced over to Kylo Ren, holding the still body of General Organa. "Put her down!" ordered Finn.

"She's dead. I can't hurt her any further. Please, let me hold my mother," cried Kylo Ren. "This was never supposed to happen. Not my mother."

Another Resistance squad member picked up Kylo Ren's helmet as a radio transmission came through. Through the static was heard, "All teams to evacuation points. Nuclear detonation will commence in fifteen minutes."

"Captain!" mentioned the specialist. "We need to evacuate, now. They're nuking the place."

Finn spoke into his communicator, "Resistance, this is Captain Finn. Intelligence indicates nuclear detonations in fifteen minutes. Evacuate. Repeat evacuate."

He gave a hand signal to his squad, who surrounded Kylo Ren, removing his lightsabers. One man tried to take General Organa's body from him. Kylo begged, "Please. I won't fight you. Just let me carry her."

Finn nodded his agreement. "Let's pull out. Transports are landing." He could hear the thrusters outside of the ships landing.

"Take Master Skywalker," urged Kylo Ren.

"He's dead," informed Finn.

"He's not. I can feel him. He's still alive. Take him. We need him. We cannot defeat Snoke without him. There's still a chance to save Rey," ordered Kylo Ren.

Finn moved quickly to Master Skywalker and picked him up. Master Skywalker did not respond.

* * *

When the squad reached the top of the bunker, the _Millennium Falcon_ waited with its loading ramp lowered. "Come on, come on!" urged Finn. The ship lifted off as the hatch closed behind them. Finn carried Master Skywalker to the Med Bay and laid him out on the bed. "Medic!" ordered Finn as they were all thrown backward while Chewbacca sped them out of the atmosphere.

The squad medic attend to Master Skywalker, hooking up the medical equipment to the aged Jedi. "I've got a heartbeat, erratic and slow, but it's there!" he announced. "Respiration barely perceptible."

The creature in black carefully set his mother's body down on the deck near a cargo crate. He removed his cape and covered her lovingly. "Just give him some oxygen and leave him alone. He's started a Jedi healing trance," remarked Kylo Ren.

Chewbacca yelled something back into the cabin. See Threepio tottered out of the cockpit and translated, "Chewbacca states there are enemy fighters heading our way. He suggests that someone man the guns." Another Wookiee moan permeated the main cabin. "And he needs a pilot."

Kylo Ren stood up and headed toward the cockpit. "Where are you going?" asked Finn.

"There are only three pilots on this ship, the Wookie, me, and Master Skywalker. So, if you'll excuse me," stated Ren as he pushed his way past Finn.

"You think you can fly this thing, Kylo Ren?" asked Finn.

"Hey, it's me," shrugged Ren. The ship shuddered as the shields took some blasts. "Now, get some men on the guns while I go get us out of this mess."

"You two, cover Ren," ordered Finn. Two of the squad members pulled up their weapons on him and escorted Ren to the cockpit. "If he even shows any hint of betrayal, shoot first, ask questions later. Understood, Ren?"

"Understood," agreed Kylo. They all stumbled as another blast hit the shields. Chewie roared again, as Finn and Specialist Hunera headed for the guns.

* * *

Chewbacca growled as TIE fighters headed straight for them. Kylo Ren sat down in the pilot's seat, regret washing over him as he remembered sitting in his father's lap as a young boy, flying the _Falcon_ with him. "Hey, Uncle Chewie," greeted Ren.

Chewie roared angrily at Kylo Ren, grabbing him by the throat. Threepio, who had followed them into the crowded cockpit tried to translate, "He says—"

"Stand down, Chewbacca. He's a prisoner of war," ordered a specialist. Chewbacca continued choking Ren. "We have orders not to kill him. Stand down." The specialist moved his gun onto the Wookiee. Chewbacca growled while reluctantly releasing the man. He roared something at Ren.

"It's either me or Artoo. Who would you rather—" A TIE blasted across their screen, firing at them again. The shields shuddered and warning lights blink while sirens blared.

"Go strap yourself in. It's gonna be a rocky ride," ordered Ren as he turned to the controls and quickly turned the craft out of the path of the TIE fighter. Chewbacca hit a few controls, and the mandible arrays fired, turning the fighter into a fireball.


	71. Chapter 71--Only For You, Mother

**CHAPTER SEVENTY-ONE**

Snoke summoned Rey once again into his presence at ship time 0200. _I'm exhausted. Does this man never sleep?_ thought Rey while carefully shielding her thoughts from her new master. He could pick up even the briefest of thoughts, she had discovered.

Snoke sat upon his throne on the Finalizer, not a projection this time, but the real thing. He towered above Rey, and she knew it was to keep her feeling small and inconsequential. Rey maintained her dignity, while still showing respect to her master. He may rule her, but he would not intimidate her.

"So glad you could join us," greeted Snoke, hinting at a distaste in her tardiness.

It had been two days thus far since that moment on D'Qar when Rey had chosen her path. She would follow this path, but she would do it on her own terms. Her first sign of rebellion was moving at her own pace and not hurrying when summoned. She would not be moved through fear, no matter what Snoke would do to her. He had shown his hand too early—she was too valuable to him. She knew he would not kill her. Everything else he could do to her, she would endure.

Rey looked around the chamber. Two officers stood to the side with a stormtrooper in between them, collapsed on the floor. He wore only the black undersuit to his armor, and he had obviously been punished already. While the man was paler in skin color, he instantly reminded her of Finn. Her heart clenched when she thought of her friend. She quickly shoved that feeling of regret into the silent spaces of her heart.

"Meet NJ-2423. An example of what a stormtrooper should not be. Even repeated reconditioning has not encouraged bravery. His continual cowardice has resulted in his termination," mentioned Snoke. "You need practice. Commence."

Rey looked at Snoke and then at the trooper. He would not be much of an opponent. She drew her blade, her new one, the red one. Her other two were hidden in her quarters. She had been unable to destroy them when Snoke commanded. She turned back to her target and drew back her arm to administer the blow.

Snoke held up his hand and paralyzed her. "No. Not with the saber. That would be too merciful for a coward. He must suffer pain for the pain he has caused his squad."

When Rey's arm dropped, she returned the saber to her belt and swallowed, unsure she could do this. She knew what Snoke wanted.

"Find the anger within you, Apprentice. They lied to you! They pretended it was all for your good, but in the end they lied. Abandoned on Jakku, trained for their own purposes, their own agendas. This is the only way to bring your mother back. Follow your anger! Revel in it and take the power! Let it fill you. This man is dead already, whether you do it or someone else does. Kill him," ordered Snoke.

 _Snoke is wise, wiser than even Master Luke. He knows so much about the Force that Master Luke and granddad had not even been hinted at. He has promised me that he would bring mother back. Anything is worth that,_ thought Rey as she pulled her hands up, ready to strike. "Move away from him," she spoke nervously to the two officers.

"No," countermanded Snoke. "Officers must share in the shame of their underlings. If you won't do it, I will, and you will join them."

 _This is the path of my choosing,_ Rey reminded herself. _I just never knew how much it would cost to get her back._ Rey hesitantly lifted her hands, closed her eyes, and let the lightning flow toward the man. All three writhed in agony on the floor. Rey pulled away with their screams, unable to go on.

"No. Do not stop until he is dead," ordered Snoke. "How can you possibly be powerful enough to conquer death if you cannot embrace it when it is deserved?"

Rey took a deep breath and murmured, "Only for you, Mother." She lifted her hands and sent forth the lightning until the man collapsed, his life Force gone. The two officers collapsed in agony, but they were still alive. Rey lowered her hands.

"Finish them," ordered Snoke.

"No. Good officers are hard to find, and they did nothing to incur a death penalty," argued Rey. "They will be more loyal if you spare them now."

"Very well," conceded Snoke. "Mercy can have its uses when dealing with mere men. Remove them from my sight and return to your quarters. We will review your performance tomorrow. I expect a full analysis."

"Yes, Master," acknowledged Rey before dragging the men out of the room. She stopped in the corridor outside the throne room and cried.


	72. Chapter 72--Prisoner of War

**Author's Note: I uploaded Chapters 71 & 72 in the last 24 hours (10/2/16).**

 **This chapter actually falls directly after Chapter 70. It occurs two days before Chapter 71.**

* * *

 **CHAPTER SEVENTY-TWO**

The _Falcon_ evaded yet another head-on collision with a TIE fighter as the quad cannons fired. Steam was pouring into the main cabin through from the floor decking as the old freighter could not take the strain of yet another battle. Chewbacca roared at his pilot.

"I know! I know!" responded Kylo Ren as he swerved yet again, maneuvering the freighter closer and closer to the _Finalizer_.

Finn came in over the headset, "Ren, what do you think you're doing?"

"Getting close enough to the Finalizer that the tractor beam will pick us up," answered Ren.

"Fire!" ordered Finn.

The specialists in the cockpit fired on Ren. Kylo deflected the bolts hitting the external communication array. "Stop that!" ordered Ren. "We have to get to Rey now! The longer she is with Snoke, the more she will fall under his control. She won't be able to break free if she's there much longer!"

"I don't trust you!" stated Finn as he fired at yet another TIE. "Chewbacca, get us into hyperspace, now!"

Chewbacca roared back something.

"I don't speak that! Droid, translate!" ordered Finn, as this entire escape fell out of his control.

"He says it will take a few more minutes for the navacomputer to make its calculations," replied Threepio. "Provided it's not the hyperdrive that's spewing steam from the engine compartment, we should reach maximum speed in less than two minutes."

"Two minutes?! We'll be dead in one!" complained Finn as he shot two more TIEs. Chewbacca roared something back that made Kylo Ren chuckle. "What? What's so funny?" asked Finn.

"I'm not sure, Captain Finn. I must admit, I don't understand humor, but Chewbacca mentioned something about flying through a supernova," replied Threepio.

The _Falcon_ shuddered as another TIE got a shot through. The navacomputer beeped its cycle completion, and Chewbacca reached forward, activating the hyperdrive.

Finn climbed out of the cannon turret and entered the cockpit. "Specialists, stand down. Go back to the main cabin and find some provisions for the team. Check on Skywalker. Let me know if his condition changes."

Kylo Ren stood up from the pilot's chair, but Finn pointed his weapon at him. "Sit down. You're not going anywhere," he ordered.

Chewbacca growled something and headed out of the cockpit.

"Where's he going?" asked Finn.

"To take care of the damage in the engine compartment, which is what I was going to do," informed Kylo Ren.

"He can handle it on his own, I'm sure," mentioned Finn. "We don't need whatever's smoking while we're in hyperspace, anyway."

"But we will need it for re-entry," debated Kylo Ren.

Finn stared at him, sizing him up. "Look, I don't know what kind of game you're playing, but you are still a prisoner of war. One move, and I'll kill you right now."

Kylo Ren laughed. "You won't. Your Resistance wants my information on the First Order too much."

"You forget, they have me. Trust me, they have all the information they need," stated Finn.

"Your data is old and expired," taunted Ren. "Look, you can try to kill me and I can kill you, but that won't get us what we both want."

"And what's that?"

"Rey."

Finn leaned forward, his face changing to one of compassion. He thought he saw a softening of Ren's as well. "I'm listening."

"You have no idea what Snoke is capable of, what he wants. We have to go back. We have to rescue her," stated Kylo Ren.

"I know why I want to, but I don't get your connection," stated Finn.

"Snoke will corrupt her and then consume her, taking her soul and possessing her," informed Kylo Ren.

"Ren, I still don't get why you care," remarked Finn. "Are you jealous you are not Snoke's favorite anymore?"

"No. You don't understand. If Snoke succeeds in possessing Rey, the galaxy is lost forever. He wanted me, until he found out about Rey," stated Ren.

"Why Rey?"

"Do you know who Snoke really is?" asked Ren.

"The Supreme Leader of the First Order. His goal is to conquer the galaxy and bring it into enslavement to run a perfectly ordered galaxy," answered Finn.

"No. You're wrong. He is the spirit of Darth Plagueis in a clone of Darth Vader's damaged DNA. He has been awaiting for the proper host—a perfect descendent of Vader that he will seduce, train, and then possess," informed Ren.

"That's why he had you?" asked Finn.

Ren nodded. "But now he has found a better host."

"Rey?"

"My sister," answered Ren. "My sister I never knew until today."

"Wait! You're a descendent of Vader?" asked Finn.

"He was my grandfather," explained Ren. "Anakin Skywalker."

"Skywalker? Like Luke back there? This is getting too weird," stated Finn.

"Yes. Plagueis created my grandfather for this express purpose," explained Kylo Ren. "When he fell in the lava of Mustafar, he altered his plans. And he still is seeking a scion of Skywalker to possess."

"For what purpose?" asked Finn. "Couldn't he have just possessed one of the other Knights of Ren?"

"Yes, but if he possesses a Skywalker, he will be immortal," revealed Kylo Ren.

"And you were going to agree to that?" asked Finn.

"You don't understand how he can seduce you," stated Ren.

"But you see clearly now?"

"Yes. When he took Rey, he released me from our bond. The cloud of the dark side fell away, and I saw what he was immediately," revealed Ren.

Finn thought about what Rey must be going through, so naïve, so vulnerable. "So, how do we get Rey?"

"We need to get on the _Finalizer_ and take her," stated Kylo Ren.

"Ren, you've got to be kidding me? You expect us to just waltz onto a star destroyer and kidnap the apprentice of Snoke? How stupid do you think I am? I don't care what you've just told me. I would be a fool to let you anywhere near the First Order. You are still a prisoner of war," argued Finn.

"You don't understand. Even now, he's putting her under a spell. In a few days, she won't even remember who she really is. She will be forced to do things—"

"I only have your word," countered Finn. "Sorry. We're heading to the next base. I do not have the authority to do anything else."

Kylo Ren hit his hand hard on the console, shaking a lever lose. "You are a coward!"

"And you are a spoiled brat! Orders are orders!"

"You're one for following orders, aren't you?" answered Kylo Ren. "Guess you had to learn some time."

"Too bad you haven't."

The medic poked his head into the cockpit. "Captain, Master Skywalker is coming around."

Finn exited, followed by Kylo Ren.


	73. Chapter 73--Meeting Uncle Luke

**Author's Note: I apologize for the delay for this chapter. My step-dad recently passed, brining on a large dose of writer's block. Writing is therapy, though, so here it goes.**

 **Trigger warning: suicide (And, no, I had no idea the character was going that direction when I first sat down to write. And, no, I'm not suicidal.)**

* * *

 **CHAPTER SEVENTY-THREE**

Kylo Ren stood next to Finn in the main hold, staring at the old man in the med bay lounge, who was just barely alive. Master Skywalker was coming out of the self-induced coma, but he was struggling—tossing to and fro and moaning "No" over and over. Suddenly Master Skywalker's eyes popped open, and he sat up straight in the bed. He yelled a very long "No!" in agony and loss.

Master Skywalker looked around at his surroundings, seeing Finn and then Kylo Ren. His eyes darted around the room and fell on his sister's covered form. "No!" he yelled again. "NO!" Tears ran down his face as he looked around for anything he could grab. He pulled Finn's blaster from his hands and pointed the muzzle at his own chest.

Kylo Ren knew an instant before what his uncle was going to do and fell on top of the old man, wrestling the blaster from him. Finn and the medic jumped on Kylo, pulling him off Luke. Kylo removed the blaster from Luke's hands as he came up. He handed it back to Finn without comment.

Kylo then felt a shimmering in the Force directly in front of him. A form appeared before his Uncle Luke. Finn was oblivious, so Kylo pulled him back.

"No, I was supposed to die!" Luke argued with the form.

"Luke, no, you can't. Not yet. Rey. You have to save Rey," pleased the figure.

"Naluma, I can't go on," said Luke in pain as he stumbled to Leia's still form and took her lifeless body in his arms. "It hurts too much. I can't lose anyone else in my life. The pain is unbearable."

Naluma's ghostly figured squatted down next to Luke. Kylo could not believe what he was seeing. His aunt's ghost actually took his mother's body and replaced it on the ground. She sat down next to his uncle and wrapped her arms around him, pulling his head to her shoulder, allowing him to cry. The medic brought the blanket from the bed and tried to place it on Luke. Since the medic could not see Naluma, the blanket ended up draping over her. Naluma grabbed it and wrapped it around her husband. All but Kylo stared back as they saw the blanket move of its own accord.

No one on the ship knew what to do. No one had ever thought that their only hope would ever give up. The morale on the _Falcon_ plummeted into despair, as Chewbacca roared at the faulty mechanism in the down-belows.

Finn ordered, "You two, go help the Wookiee!" He continued his coverage of Kylo and stared at the ailing Jedi. "Look, I don't know what's going—"

Kylo jumped back as another disturbance in the Force emanated directly in front of him. Kylo's eyes grew wider as he saw the image of Anakin Skywalker. "Grandfather!" he addressed.

Anakin ignored him and turned to Luke and Naluma. "Son!" He, too, took Luke into the embrace, holding him in love. It was Anakin's first time ever touching his son, and he immediately knew it should have happened years ago.

Kylo Ren looked on, amazed that the man he had called out to appear to him for so many years was finally here, amazed that he cared so deeply. This was not the man Kylo Ren had known of. The grandfather he knew of was vicious, twisted, and evil. Who was this compassionate man that sat next to his uncle? Was this the real Anakin Skywalker? Did this mean he could be Ben again?

Luke looked up, wiping his tears from his eyes and looked sternly at Kylo Ren. Kylo Ren shrunk under his gaze, hoping Luke could feel the difference in him. Luke spoke, "Ben, are you satisfied?"

That question struck deeply into Kylo Ren's heart. He had never known satisfaction. It always alluded him. He always wanted more—more power. Kylo could not answer. He longed still for more things, but now it was just the love of his uncle.

Luke raised his hand and pushed out with the Force, trying something on his nephew, but he failed. Kylo Ren stated, "Please, Uncle, don't hurt yourself. I'm too strong now for trances."

"Ben, I'm sorry," began Luke before he looked at the medic. "Sedate him."

Finn objected, "Master Skywalker, the prisoner is under my command. I will determine what happens to him."

"Sedate him," Luke said, using a Jedi mind-trick on the medic.

"I will sedate him," mentioned the medic.

Kylo Ren's face turned ashen, but resigned. He knew what sedation would do to him. He prepared himself for the visions as the medic applied the hypospray. Two of the squad grabbed the still body of the Master of Ren and put him on the med bay lounge.

"Captain, I don't know who you are, but you're lucky that Ben has been cooperating, or you would all be dead right now," informed Luke. "There is not a room or a device that will confine him. He is more powerful than you realize. More than I realized. Sedation is the only way to control the Force-sensitive, but there are side-effects."

"Master Skywalker, I would appreciate your following my lead. I am still in command—"

"If that's what you want to believe, Captain _," indicated Luke as he slowly stood to his feet and stumbled to the Dejarik table. Naluma's ghost followed him, holding him up when he stumbled.

"Finn," stated Finn.

Luke smiled, obviously understanding the man's concern now. Luke frowned at the thought of Rey under the influence of Snoke, but he took hope in this man who obviously cared as much for her as Luke did.

Anakin spoke up, "Luke."

"Father?" asked Luke. Finn was still confused.

"When you arrive, prepare a funeral pyre immediately," instructed Anakin. "There's still a chance."

"A chance of what?" asked Luke.

"Leia joining us," mentioned Naluma. "Rey needs her. Leia is the key to bringing her back to us."

Tears leaked out of Luke's eyes again as he mourned his sister. "Understood."

Finn looked at Master Skywalker, "What?"

"When we arrive, the funeral must be held immediately," indicated Luke.

"They're going to want to plan a big state funeral, Master Skywalker. The leader of the Resistance deserves more than a few words and a few soldiers," objected Finn.

Luke looked at him resolutely. "I don't care what the Resistance wants. If you want to save Rey, you will make sure it happens. Am I making myself clear?"

Finn nodded his agreement, not understanding this mysterious Jedi Master, but trusting him.


	74. Chapter 74--What Have I Done?

**Author's Note: I posted this chapter within 24 hours of the last (10/8/16).**

* * *

 **CHAPTER SEVENTY-FOUR**

Rey stood in the center of the chamber given to her. Around her was chaos. She did not want to be in this room, not ever. The torture chair she had been in herself not too long ago sat in the middle. The control console was to her right was destroyed, seemingly cut by a lightsaber.

"That seems true to form for my brother. Mother, what were you thinking when you raised him?" she muttered. "I'm pretty sure you would not have put up with wanton destruction."

Rey waited for a response, but she received none. She collapsed in the room's one regular chair and cried. The tears came easier, now that she was not with Snoke. The pain burnt through her, and she wondered how long it would be before she would see her mother again. Snoke had promised her return. Rey just had to believe and hope that it would be soon.

Rey looked around the rest of the room. A melted helmet sat on a table filled with ashes. Rey picked it up and looked at it carefully. She recognized it immediately. She moved to put it down, but she could not. Her inner being was torn. She did not know what to do. And she missed him.

"Granddad! Please, speak to me," she uttered.

Rey bowed her head in shame and anguish, waiting. "Granddad, I need you!" she called again.

At first it was just the briefest shimmer in the Force. Rey thought she might be hallucinating. And then Ani was there, standing in front of her, visibly upset.

"Granddad, what have I done?" asked Rey.

"I don't know, Rey, I don't know," answered Ani. "But it's never too late. Come back. Don't let the darkness take you. Resist."

"I don't know how," spoke Rey. "Snoke promised to bring mother back. I can't give up. Anything to save her."

"Rey, she's in a better place . . . or she will be soon," informed Ani.

"What do you mean by that?" asked Rey.

"You will know soon enough. She doesn't want to come back," spoke Ani.

"She wouldn't want to leave me. I know that," debated Rey.

"She hasn't. Just give her time. She'll return. Rey, this is not the path she would ever choose for you," revealed Ani.

"I can't take that risk, Granddad . . . But the darkness . . . it's swallowing me," mentioned Rey. "When I'm with Snoke, I don't even know who I am anymore."

"That is part of his power, Rey. You can resist him," encouraged Ani. Then he looked around cautiously. "I can't stay here long. He'll feel my presence. He was my master far too long."

"He's not on the ship," spoke Rey.

"That doesn't matter. Just know this: we will get you out of here, but you must resist him. Do not give in to the dark side, Rey. Please," begged Ani. Sounds were heard outside Rey's chamber, stormtroopers marching, officers giving orders. Ani quickly disappeared.

Rey asked herself, "What have I done? Mother, help me!"


	75. Chapter 75--Funeral for a General

**CHAPTER SEVENTY-FIVE**

Luke sat in the pilot's seat, missing his old friend Han who should be here, missing Leia, missing Rey. His heart ached for them all, and a darkness grew inside of him, a hatred for Snoke—the creature that had caused so much pain and hurt to his family. Only through Force meditation was Luke able to bring himself back to his sense of calm, the peace that a Jedi Master was known for.

His nephew Ben was sedated, but restless. Luke could feel the visions he was having—visions of things Ben had done in the past, visions of Rey, visions of the Purge. At times it battered against Luke's well-structured shields, eating in at him. He was not sure if sedating Ben was such a good idea, but he was unsure how to control him otherwise. As much as the boy was his nephew, his only family left him, he was also a violent criminal who needed to stand trial for his atrocities. The Resistance would not let him off scot-free, and neither would Luke. It was not revenge but justice that must be served. And then he would still need Ben's help if the galaxy would ever be rid of Snoke—he would need both Ben and Rey's help. He only wished Rey had resisted and had not done anything truly awful yet.

Luke returned his attention to the exit from hyperspace. He was barely functioning himself, but Ben was not allowed to know the location of this new base. In fact, none of the team had been told the location. Only Luke knew it and Artoo. He figured Chewbacca would figure out where they were eventually, but this was a proscribed planet. No one else should be able to figure it out.

As the _Falcon_ exited hyperspace into the Wild Space region, Luke pulled the ship around the blue and green planet below him. The freighter skimmed the top of the tcholoowaer trees and ran through the canyon. He passed over the remains of a building, which he had blasted to bits long ago, pulling the freighter to the other side of the planet, the side he knew Ben had never seen. The snow was thick in the upper elevations, but in the foothills it was just a light dusting. The _Falcon_ disturbed the light powder as Luke landed it in a snowy field surrounded by hundreds of other ships.

Temporary shelters were already being built. The High Command was operating from a deep cavern in the mountain, not too far from the landing field. The deciduous tsiein trees were sprinkled all throughout the rolling hills, leafless in the bitter chill wind. As Finn lowered the _Falcon's_ ramp, he asked Luke, "What is this place?"

Luke had made his way from the cockpit to the ramp as Chewbacca shut down the engines. "That's on a need-to-know basis, and right not—"

"I don't need to know," mentioned Finn. "Got it."

"Send out some of your men to go cut down two of three tsieein trees into logs about a half meter in length. I'll be out in a few to assist with the pyre," indicated Luke, sounding more relaxed and stronger than he had in the last few hours.

"What are you going to do?"

"It's time to wake-up Lord Ren back there," indicated Luke.

"What about the General?" asked Finn.

"I'll take care of her myself. Leave her where she is for now until the pyre is built," mentioned Luke.

"The High Command is not going to like it," mentioned Finn.

"They don't have to. I'm her next-of-kin. We will do it my way," stated Luke more fiercely than he had intended.

* * *

Luke headed back to the med bay. Ben struggled under the restraints and the drugs. Luke briefly touched his mind and saw the Purge yet again. Luke could not take it anymore. He had put those memories into his past, and if he dwelt on them any longer, he knew he would slip past all sanity himself. _The goal is Plagueis. Nothing else_ , he reminded himself.

Luke moved his hand to Ben's head and brought him out of the sedation quickly. He was not as gentle as he could have been, but he did not want Ben to mistake Luke as an ally. Ben struggled and screamed as he opened his eyes.

Luke let him work him through it, as Ben released his restraints with the Force and sat up. "Why did you do that?" asked Ben angrily.

"Because I can't trust you. You will answer for your crimes, Ben. I made a mistake to trust you years ago. I will never trust you again," stated Luke. Ben stared back at his uncle in anger and then in resignation.

"I need you now. As long as you cooperate, I will allow you to be present at your mother's funeral. The least sign of interference, and I will kill you. Is that understood?" stated Luke firmly sending a chill through the Force to Ben.

"Yes, Uncle Luke," agreed Ben with tears in his eyes as he saw the still form of his mother, knowing that his actions had caused that.

* * *

Luke led Ben out to the field where Finn's men were quickly cutting down the trees. Luke waved his hand toward the logs and brought them over to his planned location. "Do you remember how to build a pyre?" asked Luke. Ben shook his head negatively, as Luke suspected. Ben hardly paid any attention to the lessons he found boring. "Then you bring the logs over and watch me as I start the base. When you get to a corner, wait for me to show you the next step." Ben stood there watching his uncle lay his logs down. "Get moving," Luke urged as Grand Admiral Ackbar and two security officers headed down the slope from the headquarters caves.

"Master Skywalker," he greeted.

"Admiral," nodded Luke as he continued his work.

Luke turned as the security officers took Ben into custody. "No, Admiral, I will control him. Your men can't anyway. He will stand trial, but I need him here right now."

"Very well. I must object to this funeral. General Organa deserves more. The galaxy feels her loss," objected the admiral.

"She's my sister. She had Jedi training earlier in her life. She deserves a Jedi funeral. And it is vital for the Resistance that we send her spirit off as soon as possible," explained Luke.

"I don't understand," indicated the official.

"You don't have to. Just get out of my way, Admiral," Luke looked at him with hard eyes. Luke could feel the frustration building in him again, about to overwhelm him. He felt like sending the admiral against the nearest tree, even though he was a good friend.

Anakin appeared before Luke, "Son, no. Don't let your grief make you do something you will regret. Remember the goal. Rey needs her. She needs her now, if we're going to save her."

Luke turned back to his work. Ben looked toward his grandfather, hoping for a word with him, but not daring to even speak. Anakin disappeared before he spoke another word.

* * *

By nightfall the snow was lightly falling. The entire Resistance had assembled around the pyre as Luke spoke, "Princess Leia Organa, Senator of Alderaan, Leader of the Resistance, General, Beloved Wife of Han Solo, Beloved Mother of Ben and Rey Solo." A few gasps were heard in the audience. A few had known Rey from her brief stay, but none had known her connection to Leia. Luke looked around as he continued, noticing the Force-ghosts of Anakin, Naluma, Obi-Wan, and Yoda gathered around. "Daughter of Queen Padmé Naberrie Amidala of Naboo and Jedi Master Anakin Skywalker of Tatooine. Reared in loving care by her adoptive parents, Queen Breha Organa of Alderaan and Viceroy Bail Organa, Senator of Alderaan and Leader of the Alliance to Restore the Republic. She held many titles, many positions, many hearts. As my twin, I knew her better than any. I miss her deeply, but I know that through this ceremony her spirit will live on, continuing to serve the Force and bring order to the galaxy," Luke solemnly spoke.

Luke stepped forward with a burning torch and lit the pyre the white-draped body of his sister lay upon. The logs caught fire immediately, as the Force aided the combustion. All hung their heads low, mourning this small woman who had done so much for each and every one of them, even giving her life for her daughter.

Luke and Ben raised their heads first as the felt her spirit move through the Force. Luke could see it rise into the few stars that peeked through the clouds above. The snow had stopped, and the wind had picked up, causing the flames of the pyre to move violently south, but also moving the clouds out of position. Luke nodded with a smile of relief and anticipation

Ben reached out his hand toward the spirit and cried, "Mother, forgive me! Please! I love you!"

Luke felt Leia's response of love and warmth sent back to Ben. Anakin and Naluma had promised Luke they would train Leia in apparition and Force-barriers, but it would take time. Luke watched as the Force-ghosts disappeared, racing to find Leia in the darkness beyond.


	76. Chapter 76--Occlusion

**CHAPTER SEVENTY-SIX**

"Come," responded Rey to the comm request at her main hatch, as she opened it with the Force. Captain Mitaka stood in the hatchway. "Come in," Rey encouraged. She stood in her distressed Padawan uniform of steel grey, waiting for her visitor.

"Lady Ren, the Supreme Leader has requested your presence in the audience chamber," informed Mitaka.

Rey grabbed her lightsaber and headed toward the man. "Might I suggest you change into more suitable attire?" he pleasantly requested.

Rey looked back at the recessed alcove, where the Knight of Ren uniform lay. She asked, "Do you mind waiting outside?"

Mitaka nodded, "As you wish, Lady Ren."

Rey stripped quickly, layering the heavy uniform and armor on. She tried moving her arms under the chest piece, and then realized that half of Kylo's problems was this stupid uniform. _I bet whoever designed this thing was only thinking about intimidation and not actual saber battles._ Rey ripped the chest piece off. She looked at the helmet in her hands. _I don't need this. I don't have to hide behind a mask. Besides, it will occlude my vision._ Secretly she admitted to just one more bit of rebellion to throw at Snoke. She tossed the helmet across the room into the broken console, letting it rest inside the chasm Kylo at created. She hoped she had broken the helmet, but she doubt she did.

When she reopened the hatch, Mitaka came quickly to attention. He was a wide-eyed boy, with a nervous tic. However, he seemed competent. He apparently had enough sense to evacuate Starkiller Base before it blew, earning him a promotion to captain.

Rey had heard plenty since she had arrived on ship. No one here knew how to shield their thoughts. Some were jealous of his promotion; others were grateful the eye of Snoke had not fallen on themselves. Overall, the underlying current of everyone on board was just to survive another day. Rey picked up from Mitaka himself that he just did not want to anger either Snoke or Rey. Rey did her best not to giggle at that thought. She had no plans for torturing these men, as long as they performed their jobs to the best of their ability.

Rey headed off down the corridor, leaving Mitaka to trail in her wake. The captain eventually caught up to her, but he wisely stayed a few steps behind her. Rey pulled herself up right before the hatch to the audience chamber. In actuality, this chamber was a tertiary hangar that had been converted into a holographic chamber. Rey took a deep breath, which Mitaka mimicked, before stepping into the room.

Snoke was waiting, sitting atop his gigantic throne many feet up. Rey thought, _He must be so insecure if he must place himself that high up to make me feel small._

Snoke spoke first, "Thank you, Captain Mitaka. Your presence is no longer needed. Leave us."

Mitaka turned on his heel quickly. Rey could feel the relief he emanated as he hurried out of the room.

"I see you found your uniform. You're missing the chestplate. And where's your helmet?" asked Snoke.

"The chestplate gets in the way of real fighting," argued Rey.

"It is to protect you," chided Snoke. "Don't be foolish."

"I can protect myself better with my saber if I can move it freely. The armor interferes with pure movement," debated Rey stubbornly. _I guess I did get that stubborn streak from granddad,_ she realized. "I refuse to wear it. It would only hinder, and it may even lead to my defeat."

"I may agree to your forgoing the armor, but not the helmet," indicated Snoke, trying to gain authority over this wild child. She was not at all like the petulant boy her brother was. It would take him time to make her docile enough to possess.

"No."

"Yes."

"No. It occludes my vision and reduces my hearing," argued Rey. "Besides, I don't have to hide behind a mask. I can be intimidating without one."

"Perhaps, but the mask also hides your gender," indicated Snoke.

"I would rather people see me for what I am. Because I'm a woman, they will most likely underestimate me," indicated Rey.

"That may be true if you go up against an unknown, but your next opponent will either by your uncle or your brother. They will not underestimate your powers," mentioned Snoke. "The mask does offer some protection."

"No. A mask will not prevent either of them from identifying my Force-signature," mentioned Rey.

"Perhaps, but when I sever your Padawan bond with your uncle, it will not be so easy. I insist that you wear the mask," indicated Snoke as he reached out toward Rey with her hand and twisted inside her, taking that which was not his to take, snapping the bond she had developed with Luke. Rey fell to the ground, in pain and disorientation. "Good, he will no longer be able to find you. He may even think I killed you."

Rey looked up from her kneeling position on the ground. "So glad you decided to finally kneel before me. That is how you will start in the future, or I will send you to your knees painfully. You will learn to bow to me, Rey. All good slaves know how to bow to their masters."

Rey snapped at the word "slave." She took a deep breath and worked her way through it, just like Master Luke had taught her when the flashbacks of her early life on Jakku would assault her. She knew she was in a worse house now, but there was always hope that someone would help her escape. There had to be a way.

Snoke continued, "Your mission today is to go through the entire crew and identify any who are the least bit Force-sensitive. And then bring them to me. We will rebuild the Knights of Ren, starting today."

Rey glanced up at her master, her subconscious being raging against this slavery, her conscious being answering, "Yes, my master."

"One day, Rey, you will call me master without any hesitation. I look forward to that day. I hope it is soon, for your sake," mentioned Snoke. "You are dismissed."

* * *

Once Rey had exited the chamber, it seemed as if a gigantic burden had been lifted from her. She breathed a sigh of relief. She marched down the passageway, sending crew members against the walls as they tried to avoid this mysterious Lady Ren. When she had reached the dubious safety of her quarters, she collapsed on the edge of her bunk and held her head in her hands, wondering what she should do next.

A blue image appeared to her, and then he sat next to her on the bunk. He took her in his arms and held his granddaughter. "We can still win, Rey. Don't give up hope. I'm here."

"Granddad," mumbled Rey as she cried into his shoulder.


	77. Chapter 77--Execution

**CHAPTER SEVENTY-SEVEN**

Admiral Ackbar stared out across the hills at the specks of light in the sky surrounding the planet Khalkha. The snow continued to fall, and he was impatient to return to his command post. Only a few ships were left in the fleet after Starkiller took out the Hosnian System. He felt the impatience to be back in the action, the impatience to rebuild the fleet, the impatience to do something.

* * *

Master Luke Skywalker sat in a distant area of the command cave, meditating, searching the Force for any indication of the next step. Ben Solo sat in front of him, kneeling in the subservient posture of the Padawan learner. The High Command held the trial this morning, and a jury of his peers had found Ben Solo guilty of 40 counts of pre-meditated murder from the Second Jedi Purge, treason, and multiple counts of war crimes against innocent civilians. He was also convicted of patricide, matricide, and two counts of attempted manslaughter. The convening council's sentence was death. The only thing they did not like about the sentence was that Ben Solo could only die once.

Because of Ben's powers, his fate was left in the hands of Master Skywalker. Luke was torn in many pieces over this circumstance. Luke was spending the time mastering his feelings, torturing Ben even more with the prolonged wait. Luke did not want to administer justice in anger or vengeance. The pain of Leia's death was still too raw. Luke was trying his best to come to terms with it, with Han's death, with Rey's defection, even with Naluma's and Baby Anakin's deaths so many years ago. And even with their unborn daughter's death from years before the Purge, which Ben had admitted to during the trial.

These deaths irritated Luke's feelings, like salt rubbed into an old would. And so, he meditated. Jedi took lives in battle, but this was different. When Luke released his anger through the Force and attained perfect peace, then his compassion overwhelmed him, and he was unable to act.

Ackbar had re-entered the cave, hoping to see the task done. Luke looked up at him from his own position on the floor. The Jedi Master stood smoothly, grabbing his weapon from the dirt floor. "I cannot. The Force will not allow me to take a life for a life," announced Luke.

Ackbar looked at his old friend, impatient. "Just kill him, Master Skywalker. There need not be any emotion. Just administer justice."

"If I take his life, I will endanger the Resistance by the change it will work in me," announced Luke. "It will corrupt me, Admiral. Where would you be if your only Jedi left goes dark?"

"What are we supposed to do? The boy can prevent anyone else from killing him," argued Ackbar.

"Sedate him and then kill him," stated Luke.

"That is inhumane," argued Ackbar.

"What you ask of me is worse," stated Luke as he walked away from the prisoner out into the hills. Ackbar watched as Luke climbed the hills behind the cave, moving to the upper elevations that were packed in snow.

Ackbar turned back to Solo. The man had not moved. "Medic!"

A medic hurried over from the southern end of the cave and addressed, "Yes, Admiral?"

"Sedate the prisoner," ordered Ackbar.

The medic followed the orders and then asked, "Should I move him out to the med bay?"

"No. Drag him out to the front of the cave. I'll assemble a firing squad," indicated Ackbar sadly.

"Yes, Admiral," responded the medic.

* * *

It took longer than Ackbar wanted to find enough soldiers without any duties to perform the task. Solo lay on the frozen snow, comatose. Ten soldiers stood twenty paces away, hoisting a variety of blasters. The captive moved. The sedative was wearing off.

Ackbar ordered, "On my mark, three, two, on—"

The firing squad was flattened by the afterburners of two TIE-fighters chased by an X-Wing. The X-Wing fired on them as they sped over the area. The TIEs fired on the cave, just above the heads of the execution squad.

Ben Solo sat up, holding out his hands, deflecting the energy bolts outward. They both split their directions, melting the snow. Ben grabbed one of the fighters with the Force and sent it into the other, both exploding a few hundred meters away.

Ackbar hung his head low and ordered, "Prepare to evacuate! Someone go find Master Skywalker!" Two more fighters entered the atmosphere, chasing the lone X-Wing pilot.

"Scramble all fighters! Scramble all fighters!" ordered Ackbar. "Is there any sign of a star destroyer?" he asked to the fleet.

"Nothing on our long or short-range scanners, Admiral. Even our arrays in the neighboring systems show no activity," indicated the flight operator.

"How did these TIEs get here, then? Keep monitoring," ordered the admiral.

He turned to find Ben Solo gone. In the distance, Ackbar saw a lone figure running toward the landing field, a blue-and-white astromech droid following him to one of the empty X-Wing fighters.

Ben Solo had escaped.


	78. Chapter 78--Leading By Love

**CHAPTER SEVENTY-EIGHT**

Lady Rey of Ren stood in the maintenance bay, looking over the ships, electronics, and machines under repair. The bay was in the belly of the star destroyer, four hundred meters square and 30 meters tall. She stood on the observation landing to the main stairwell, about 10 meters above the deck.

To her right were the smaller maintenance units. Droids and technicians worked on a variety of devices, from medical units to military. To her left was the landing area for ships. Two TIE fighters and a troop transport were currently in for servicing. Rey could feel the frustration from one of the technicians as they worked on . . . the power converters.

She stood for a moment, trying to put on her most intimidating pose, trying to remember the videos of her granddad. Just the thought of him brought him to life in front of her, causing her to jump back.

"Rey," he mentioned. "These are good people. Most are here by coercion, not unlike yourself. Treat them well, and they will follow you."

 _I don't want them to follow me, Granddad,_ argued Rey through mindspeech.

"Yes, you do," countered Ani. "You cannot lead without followers. They will follow someone. You have to decide whether they will follow Snoke, Hux, or you."

Rey stared out at each of the men and women down there. She could feel their beating hearts through the Force, and the responsibility scared her. Could she lead them in this First Order ultimately to sacrifice them for her own goals? _I won't lead them blindly. If they follow me, they risk death. I will risk everything to bring my mother back, including anyone who gets in the way._

"Rey," uttered Ani. "She will come back, one day. I promise, you'll see her. You don't need Snoke for this."

 _How do you know?_

"I've seen her," admitted Ani.

Rey stared at him in wonder. _Where? Where is she?_ _She survived? I was wrong?_

Ani hesitated, tears in his eyes.

 _You're lying . . . again,_ accused Rey.

"I cannot lie," reminded Ani. "It all depends on your point of view. Just be patient. Don't do anything you will regret later. There is still hope."

Rey nodded her added in acquiescence. _How do I lead, Granddad?_ Large numbers of people still scared her. Going from living a solo life in the desert to being with a few people at a time had never prepared her for the constant emotions being thrust at her by the fifty-five men and women aboard the _Finalizer_. She felt their pain, their fear, their desires. Only her constant shields kept her from being overwhelmed by them.

Even now, a few had noticed her presence on the observation platform. The undercurrent of emotion was changing from concentrated focus on the task at hand to fear of punishment, or worse.

"Men will work harder for praise than in fear of retribution," mentioned Ani. "I learned that as a general in the Clone Wars. If people feel that you trust them and appreciate them, they will do anything for you, and they will naturally follow you. Do not follow the dark side here, Rey. A reign of terror does not inspire loyalty, only fear, which will lead to anger and suffering for all involved."

 _I'm not even here to lead these people, Granddad, just to identify the Force-sensitive,_ whined Rey. _And I don't even know how to do that._

"Back to basics, Rey. Become at peace," instructed Ani. "Good. Now reach out with the Force, just scanning. Tell me what you feel."

 _They're calming down, now that I have done nothing,_ mentioned Rey.

"Good. Project your peace to them. Let them feel it," instructed Ani. "Now tell me what you feel."

 _That one over there, the lead of the transport workers. The one handling the power converter right now. He feels . . . stronger to me,_ indicated Rey.

"Yes. But, we don't want just anyone," spoke Ani. "What is he thinking?"

 _He's shielding,_ argued Rey.

"They're instinctive at best and easily passed through. Do it."

 _Ahhh. An undercurrent of dissatisfaction, of longing to leave this place, of a family_ , read Rey with her eyes closed.

"Tell me, can you use that to win him to your side?" asked Ani.

 _Yes_ , answered Rey as she started down the stairs to the main floor. "Easy. Let's start over here with the small parts. Look them over, and take some for that console in your quarters. Start a conversation and set them at ease."

Rey took a deep breath and moved to the area, her robe and cloak swishing behind her as she moved, while her boots clicked on the tile floor. She moved to a parts bay and started examining the different devices, all stored on a shelves and neatly labeled. One of the women glanced over in her direction, and then she moved her head quickly back to her work, nervous. Rey projected peace again to the workers.

Rey strode over to one of the technicians, who was working on a hatch mechanism. She stared at the work, her hands itching to hold the Pilex driver. The technician looked up at her and stood quickly at attention, saluting. "Lady Rey."

"Carry on, Technician," she replied with a slight smile. She looked over his shoulder and watched as he manipulated the parts. "May I make a suggestion?"

"Of course, Lady Rey," replied the tech.

"Lift the actuator up while you solder the end of the coil, and then return it to position," mentioned Rey.

"Thank you, but the actuator is broken, too," mentioned the man.

"Then remove the actuator and replace it."

"We don't have another actuator. We are waiting for more from Estrella," indicated the man.

"What happened to this control?" asked Rey. "Battle damage?"

"No, Lord Kylo damage," mentioned the man, loosening up with her.

"I've seen some of his handiwork," mentioned Rey with a grimace. The man looked back at her trying to determine what she was implying. "In my quarters. Mind if I try my hand at this?"

"Be my guest, Lady Rey, but without a new actuator, we can only take it apart," replied the tech as he stood and allowed the Lady of Ren to sit at his station.

Rey tucked back her cloak and picked up the Pilex driver. Once she had removed the actuator, she was able to adjust the spring coil. She looked at the actuator and determined that only the power control was damaged. "Do you have a T1-X3 power module?"

"I think so. Let me check stores, Lady Rey," replied the tech as he moved to the storeroom. He returned quickly, out of breath, handing her the part in a small case.

After Rey removed it, she took a deep breath. This was the first time she had actually ever worked with new parts. It shined in the worklights and smelled metallic, not dirty. She seated the power module in the actuator and reattached the chains to the gears. "Ready?" The tech nodded back as Rey activated the device.

"You fixed it! Thank you, Lady Rey," mentioned the tech.

"I enjoyed it. It has been too long since I've worked with tools. What's your name?" asked Rey.

"Jori, ma'am, technican grade 3," answered the man.

"A pleasure to meet you, Jori. Could I ask a favor?"

"Anything, ma'am," responded Jori.

"The console in my quarters is damaged, thanks to Lord Ren. I would like to repair it," spoke Rey.

"We're waiting on a new console to be delivered, Lady Rey," spoke the technician.

"No, I want to repair it myself. If I get you a list of the parts, could you have them delivered to my quarters with a standard set of repair tools?" asked Rey.

"Yes, Lady Rey. Of course," the tech responded with a twinkle.

"Carry on with your other duties until then," mentioned Rey as she continued her observation of the area.

* * *

When she reached the vehicle maintenance area, she inspected the work on the two TIE fighters first, wary of any radiation leaks they may be sporting. She would never forget her first work on a TIE and how weakened the sickness left her. She smiled as she remembered her granddad's care of her during that time. She spoke a few words to the techs, determining the problems with each fighter. One had solar panel feed problems, while the other had a dead computer system. After praising them for their work, she moved onto her target, the troop transport.

"Lady Rey," addressed the lead technician as he stood to attention with his entire crew.

"Lieutenant, how goes the work?" asked Rey.

"Almost there. Power converters were dead. We're replacing them with new units, as well as new cables and terminal posts," explained the man.

"Very good. Any problems I should be aware of?" asked Rey, trying to set the man at ease, but inadvertently making him more nervous.

"No, Lady Rey," lied the man, looking around the bay nervously.

"Lieutenant, follow me. The rest of you carry on with your duties," replied Rey as she led the man into an alcove by a computer terminal. "Lieutenant, you cannot lie to me, so don't try. What is the real problem with the transport?"

"Power converters, Lady Rey, just as I said."

"No, there's something else. I can feel it. And you know it, too," she accused.

The man took a deep a sigh and replied, "Something doesn't feel right to me. Like there's something we're missing. But I have no proof."

"What else do you feel?" asked Rey.

The tall man looked at her, scared but intrigued. "That I should trust you."

"Yes. Trust me. Do you mind if I examine the ship?" she asked.

"And that is why I will trust you. You ask instead of demand. Please, Lady Rey, the ship is yours," answered the lieutenant.

"Very well," replied Rey as she strode to the entrance of the transport. She removed her cloke and outer robes, so that she was down to her tunic and trousers only. "Can you bring me a glow lamp?" she shouted to the techs on the deck. The lieutenant hurried onto the carrier with the glow lamp. "Shine it over there. I feel something."

Rey bent down and squeezed her hand into a slot. "Pilex driver, flat," she ordered. The tech removed one from his utility belt. Rey ran it through the crack were the hull sides came together with the deck. She worked out a small sliver in the crack and pulled it carefully. It was a flat strip that was flexible when touched and glowed the same color red as the cabin lights. "What is this?"

The lieutenant's eyes were wide at the sight. "That is an explosive device, Lady Rey. Be careful. I must evacuate the area. I'll be back with an explosive shield. Just don't move"

Rey spoke in his head, _Hurry._

The man's eyes opened even wider as he smoothly left the ship and started the evacuation procedures. He returned with a heavy-duty cart, rolling it up the troop transport's ramp. "Carefully place it in here, Lady." Rey lowered her hand into the hatch and gently lowered the device into position with the Force.

"What next?"

"We launch it through an airlock and let it explode in space. The general has been notified. As soon as we eject this, the fleet will jump to a new hyperspace point," informed Lieutenant Pargacce as he carefully shut the lid on the case and programmed it for airlock maneuvering.

"Good work, Lieutenant. I would like to put your name forward for command-level recognition," indicated Rey.

"Lady Rey, you were the one who found the device," argued the lieutenant.

"But you _knew_ something was wrong. You have a talent, Lieutenant, one that needs to be developed. I will be contacting you in the future," promised Rey before exiting the bay.

"Excellent, Rey," commented Ani. "These men will follow you, to the ends of the galaxy if need be. You have the compassionate touch. Anyone will follow you as long as you show them love and respect."

"Thank you, Granddad. Thank you for not giving up on me," mentioned Rey. "I trust you to get me out of this mess."

"We'll do it together. I promise."


	79. Chapter 79--Escape

**AUTHOR'S NOTE: This chapter happens a little bit before 78.**

* * *

 **CHAPTER SEVENTY-NINE**

Ben Solo pulled the stolen X-Wing fighter into a high climb, reaching for space. His astromech droid tweeted at him. "I know, I know. That X-Wing seems to have caught up with me. I can't shake him off my tail. Hold on back there! Breaking into evasive action."

As Ben broke right, the other X-Wing barrel rolled into attack position. Ben activated the repulsors and lifted the craft up a few meters before slamming on the brakes. The attacker flew right by him. Ben laughed and replied to Artoo, "Not bad, considering it's been years since I've flown one of these." Artoo beeped something back to him cheekily.

Artoo had pointed out that the attacker had pulled around in a lag displacement roll and was advanced head-on at Ben. Ben jinked left and pulled his craft into a flat scissors maneuver. His attacker pulled into a Split S and came in behind him, locking his guns on him.

Artoo beeped a few times. "He wants what frequency?" Artoo confirmed it. "That's an old Imperial frequency," objected Ben. "Yes, Artoo." Ben switched the frequency to the one indicated by Artoo and waited to be hailed.

"Ben Solo," the man in the other fighter greeted.

"If you're going to kill me, do it now. It's long overdue," stated Ben.

"I wouldn't have gone to all the trouble to orchestrate your escape to kill you," stated the pilot.

"Well, I'm not going back to the First Order, and I'm sure not going back to the Resistance," declared Ben.

"Of course not," chuckled the man.

"Who are you?"

"Insight never was one of your better skills, was it?" mentioned the man cynically.

Ben thought through the dilemma. "I didn't think there were any Jedi left in the Resistance. And the only one who can fly as well as you is Dameron. I know he is not Force-sensitive."

"You're using your intellect, not the Force, not your insight. That is why you fail, Ben," stated the man. "Besides, Dameron has nothing on me. I've only ever been beaten by one person in air combat, and that was your uncle."

Ben argued, "Stop with the games, Old Man. This hasn't been the best day ever."

"We have company coming. Follow me," indicated the man.

"Where?" asked Ben.

"We need to pick up your uncle," stated the man as he brought his craft back into the atmosphere.

"He ran off into the hills. He could be anywhere," stated Ben.

"Use the Force. Reach out and find him, Ben. He's not hiding from us," stated the man.

"I think I can feel him. He's at the top of that crest," mentioned Ben.

"Good," mentioned the man.

"I just lost you off my scope!" announced Ben in fear.

"I'm having Artoo take some precautions. We're masked from Resistance scanners for the time being," mentioned the man. "There. That looks good."

"What looks good?"

"That cave near your uncle. Let's bring them in slowly," directed the man with patience.

* * *

After landing the craft in the large cave, Ben hopped down from his craft, with Artoo following behind him to the other fighter. He walked back to the other craft to find the cockpit empty and the canopy still closed. Ben looked around, confused.

He saw his uncle standing at the opening of the cave. Ben thought he saw a shimmering of light in the brightness of the opening, but he was not sure. Ben shook his head and rubbed his eyes, thinking to himself, _Today certainly was strange._

As Ben approached his uncle, he realized there was something there. His uncle was talking to someone. "Ben," greeted his uncle.

"Master Skywalker," spoke Ben. "Thank you for sparing my life."

"You deserve justice, Ben, but it is not my place to administer it. What I told Ackbar was true. If I killed you, I would become worse than you, worse than Vader, worse than Snoke," announced Luke calmly. "It's been 14 years, Ben, and not a day goes by I don't mourn Naluma. Not a day goes by I don't have to fight my anger and the desire to kill you. I am not your ally, and don't you ever make that mistake."

"Luke, follow the light," directed the shimmering figure. "Allow the Force to administer its own justice."

Ben turned to him. He had heard those same words so many times while he was under Snoke's control, so many times the light pulled to him, called to him. It was his weakness. It was that voice.

Ben moved closer to the figure and realized it glowed in blue. "Granddad?"

"Ben, you really need to work on insight. It is your failing," spoke Anakin. "Both of you, please follow the light. Don't give into your anger. Rey needs us."

"I was flying against Darth Vader and lived?"

"You were flying against Anakin Skywalker who allowed you to live, Ben. Remember that. Forget whatever praise you may have heard from the First Order. There is much room for improvement in everything: piloting, saber work, Force work, emotional control, listening skills," admonished Anakin.

"I listen," defended Ben.

"But not very well. You kept asking me to talk to you, but you always ignored what I told you, Ben. If you want to survive, I need you to listen and take action," spoke Ani. "Luke, are you ready for this?"

"Yes, Father. Like you, there is still good in him. Leia was always right," answered Luke. "But he still must pay for his crimes."

"The Force will take care of that. Let it proceed natur—"

"What is it?" asked Luke.

"I have to leave," spoke Ani.

Luke looked at him, his insight giving him information. "Go to her. She needs you. I'll take care of Ben."

Ani disappeared immediately, leaving Luke and Ben to stare each other down with Artoo in between them. "Well, I guess we're back to Master and Padawan again. Hop in your craft, and follow me."

"Where are we going?" asked Ben.

"No questions, but you'll recognize it when we arrive. Artoo, you're with me, Old Friend," stated Luke. Artoo beeped contentedly and followed after his old master.


	80. Chapter 80--Cleansing

**AUTHOR'S NOTE: I've uploaded both Chapters 79 and 80 in the last few hours (10-14-16). This chapter happens directly following 79 and concurrently with 78.**

* * *

 **CHAPTER EIGHTY**

Luke led Ben to the other side of the planet to the upper elevations. It was still dark, but the Resistance had not picked up their trail. Luke sent a coded message through Artoo to Ackbar, requesting that he stand down his fighters.

When they climbed out of their fighters, Ben was brought back instantly to that night 14 years ago. It was here that it had all begun. "We're on Khalkha?" he asked.

"Yes, I'm surprised you did not figure that out earlier," spoke Luke. "How long has it been since you've lowered your shields and allowed your insight to work?"

Ben closed his eyes and pulled his shields down. "Since Rey resisted me, since she got into my brain," admitted Ben.

"Come over here. I want you to sit there," directed Luke to a spot of turf and shale. Luke sat in the master's pose, and Ben assumed the learner's. "Feel the Force through flowing here. Let it speak to you, Ben. Let it change you, mold you, form you into something new," directed Luke.

Ben lowered his shields and reached out with it. He was at once battered with the horrors that this place held. He relived the Purge, the Purge that he had caused, but this time he felt the fear, the pain, the torture of his victims as he lived through every single moment.

Luke sat there, watching and feeling his students die once more, watching his love struck down with Force-lightning. He had never known her exact cause of death; he had arrived too late that night. Now, to know that she died from that painful lightning overwhelmed Luke. He felt his baby boy's death first, then the pain inflicted on Naluma. He saw her left there to die in the pouring rain, a calling card for him.

Luke remembered their last conversation when Naluma begged him not to go. She had known it was going to happen, and Luke let his duty interfere with his first priority—his family. The grief was unbearable as Luke collapsed into a ball, screaming out Naluma's name as he saw himself hold her in his arms, as she gave her last breath.

Tears flowed down Ben's face as he relived his crimes. He screamed in pain as each one died. "I can't take this anymore, Master. Please make it stop!"

"No. You have to know exactly what you did. You must come to terms with this. Otherwise, you will do it again," spoke Luke in agony as he watched his wife's funeral pyre once more. "Watch! Understand what your actions caused! Feel it through the Force! It ripped a great rift through it here, Ben. Can you sense it?"

"Aghhh!" screamed Ben as he felt the agony the Force itself unleashed on him.

"I should have killed you that night," mentioned Luke, his anger flowing over his Force-signature.

"What prevented you?"

"Your aunt. She appeared, Ben. She begged me not to turn, as she has every day since," stated Luke.

"So you aren't a coward?" asked Ben.

"No. My exile was to protect you, for your mother's sake, for my sake, for the galaxy's sake," revealed Luke. "It is time to cleanse the soul—for both of us."

Ben looked at Master Luke, unsure of what he meant. "Do you remember how to meditate, Ben?"

"I was never really good at that, only when contacting Snoke," admitted Ben.

"Back to the basics, then. Deep breathing, first. Long inhale, long exhale. Focus on the Force only. Empty your mind of everything else. Breathe. Just breathe. Now, let the Force flow through you, washing away the anger, the hatred, the fear. Become one with it."

After a few minutes, Luke directed with tears in his eyes, "As I forgive you now, forgive those who have hurt you. Your father, your mother, Snoke, me . . . even Rey."

They passed the night in this vigil of cleansing, repurposing themselves as servants of the Force . . . for good.


	81. Chapter 81--There Is Still Hope

**CHAPTER EIGHTY-ONE**

Rey had progressed with returning her computer console to operational function, but she left out the video camera and audio feeds. Privacy was a must, and she would destroy the console again to maintain it if necessary. Over the last two days she had identified eight men and women who were Force-sensitive. Her granddad was adamant that they had to be individual thinkers, ones that not only would follow her out of loyalty but who were also frustrated with the First Order. In order to protect her from Snoke, Ani would not reveal his plans to her.

Snoke was another problem. Rey suspected that he suspected her, but she felt he was waiting for the right time to spring the trap. Rey's goal was to put her plans into motion earlier than he would anticipate. Outguessing Snoke was difficult, and required Rey to keep her mind thinking of a betrayal much further away than it would really be.

Snoke had assembled Rey's recruits and given them their first lessons in reaching into their anger for using the Force. Tonight, Rey hoped to try something new with them. Rey progressed through the maintenance bays, coming up behind each one in turn. She whispered in their ears, "My quarters 1900 hours." Each nodded almost imperceptibly before Rey moved onto the next recruit.

Until they were trained to a basic level, Snoke had no intent to remove them from their current tasks, especially since the First Order was so low on qualified men after Starkiller. Rey moved through the other departments of the star destroyer, informing her men and women.

* * *

Rey's quarters looked much different than when they were Kylo Ren's. The torture chair had been removed, but the holes were still in the middle of the floor. The table of ashes and Vader's helmet were gone. All that was left was an empty room with a computer console and an alcove with her bunk, gear locker, and refresher unit.

Rey had repurposed the surveillance features on the computer console from spying on herself in the room to protecting herself from unwanted approach. The cameras were now mounted surreptitiously in the corridor outside her room, each with an audio feed.

Her recruits entered one at a time over the next quarter hour. Without speaking, Rey nodded with her head to sit on the deck. This was the first time Rey was going to attempt teaching, but if their plans were going to work, they had to learn the correct way to manipulate the Force.

Her Padawan—now that was strange—she was not even a Jedi, let alone a Master—but eight Padawan sat before her. They were her responsibility now, a responsibility that weighed heavily on her shoulders. Rey lowered herself to the deck, sitting cross-legged, facing her recruits. She smiled at them to set them at ease and to get her bearings.

"You have each agreed privately to this course of action. What we are about to start may end in your death, or worse. You may leave now, but this is your last chance," announced Rey, kneeling in front of them.

One asked, "What's worse than death?"

"The imprisonment of your soul in darkness . . . forever. And that is what awaits us all if Snoke has his way," informed Rey.

A young man at the rear of the room stood and announced, "I'm out. I don't want any of this."

Rey nodded and seemed to speak something to the air, but no one else could hear it. Immediately the chamber filled with energy and a blue form appeared before the young man.

"Who are you?" the young man asked, scared.

"We can't have you leaving with this in your brain. I'm sorry," explained Ani as he reached out his hand and touched the man's forehead. The man collapsed, but Ani caught him before he hit the deck. Ani levitated the man over to Rey's bunk and lay him on it.

"Who are you?" asked another of the recruits.

Rey cleared her voice. "I must apologize for not introducing you earlier. This is your new master, my granddad, Anakin Skywalker."

"Darth Vader?" asked one of the women in fear, drawing back.

"Not anymore. You have all been selected not only because you are Force-sensitive, but also because you have all expressed an interest in changing the galaxy for good. That good starts now. Become at peace. Release your anger. I am going to teach you how to tap into the Force beyond anything a Sith or a Knight of Ren can through anger. With peace, your entire being is emptied and the Force can fill it to overflowing. Breathe in, breathe out. Now feel the Force within you. Pull it to you. Now let it just flow. Pull it. Let it flow. Good. Now feel it among yourselves. Let it bind you together as a group. Good. Very good," approved Ani as the session continued.

* * *

By the end of the evening, the recruits were able to shield their thoughts from everyone in the room, including Ani. Rey at her door as her guests left individually for their own quarters. After they had all left, Rey revived the man on her bunk. "You passed out in the corridor near here while you were working on that maintenance hatch. I thought it best to bring you in here until you were feeling better," explained Rey.

"I don't quite remember what happened," the man mentioned. "I just felt dizzy all of a sudden."

"I'll help you get back to your quarters," offered Rey.

"No, Lady Rey. I should not be seen coming out of your quarters with you. I can make it on my own," the man hesitated. "I still have half a shift to fulfill, too. I'd better get myself to the med bay before my supervisor comes looking for me."

After he had left, Rey closed the hatch and sat on her bunk. Ani reappeared to her and sat next to her. "So, Granddad, what do you think about them?"

"They won't be worth much when we face Snoke," he analyzed. "We need more time."

"I know. Is this worse, subverting them like this? I mean, would it be easier for them just to go down the dark side?" asked Rey.

"We may not be able to save their lives, but we are saving their souls. That is what is most important Rey. Our time in this dimension here is limited. Eternity is forever. And the punishment that awaits the followers of the dark path is not just darkness, but pain as well. The pain that they inflict on others in this life, is multiplied a hundredfold on themselves in eternity," explained Ani.

Rey stared at him in wonder. She knew where he was right before he died. "Does that mean you'll have to go there one day to pay for the pain you inflicted?"

Ani smiled in relief and said, "No. The light side does not work that way. The light wants everyone with it. It won't compel. It is our choice. But once we make that decision, everything that we have ever done in the past is forgiven . . . even the mistakes we make in the future."

Rey could not take it all in. "You mean, there's still hope for me? I'm not doomed for all eternity."

"I wouldn't be here if there weren't, Rey. But you haven't made your choice yet. You need to decide, and quickly," urged Ani.


	82. Chapter 82 - Juyo

**Author's Note: I'm sorry it has taken so long to update this chapter. I had to travel to Europe for a family funeral, and the accompanying grief provided writer's block of extreme proportions. But writing is therapy, and the block has left. Thank you for your patience.**

* * *

 **CHAPTER EIGHTY-TWO**

Rey's Padawan were progressing. They were now able to work in concert with levitation. Their mindspeech was growing. Their saber work had passed _Shii-Cho_ , the beginner's form. While Snoke worked with them using the _Juyo_ technique of Form VII, Rey worked with each privately on the one form she knew the best: _Djem So_ , with Ani looking on in pride.

It took her all of her strength to resist Snoke each meeting. She hoped he did not suspect the undermining she was causing—the treason. She hoped that he could stay in the dark long enough to get them trained.

Today, however, she awoke with a compulsion pulling at her. She knew it was Snoke. She knew he wanted to see her. She feared the worst. She quickly dressed in her black robes and strode to the hologram chamber. It was still very early on board the ship—not that there was even dawn or dusk, just watches. It was still the middle of third watch, so the ship was mostly quiet, except for those assigned to actual duties at this time.

The two guards on either side of the hatch did not move. Rey was expected. She strode through the hatch and kneeled in front of the hologram of the dreaded Supreme Leader Snoke. She recited the words of greeting that she hated so much, "What is thy bidding, my master?"

"Report on the progress of the trainees," commanded Snoke.

"They are progressing as quickly as could be expected, considering their low level of Force-sensitivity," stated Rey vaguely.

"Specifics, Apprentice!"

"Mindspeech is adequate within a limited space. Levitation is limited to small objects in an even smaller radius. Saber training has not resulted in any permanent injuries, but not a one of them will ever be a master," evaluated Rey, trying not to let slip in her mind what she had actually been doing with them.

"They don't have to be. They will be battlefield fodder when the attack comes. I only expect them to slow down the advance of Skywalker and then die like the good soldiers they are," indicated Snoke. He stared at her, putting her under the scrutiny of his intense gaze. "You are hiding something," he accused.

Rey blanched but remained silent as Snoke probed her mind. "It is useless to resist me. I feel it. Ahhh, I see. Good. Good. Turning their allegiance from me to you. Good, my apprentice. I could not have done it better."

Rey was shocked. She was certain he would destroy her.

"Don't be so shocked. Have you not realized, that if they protect you, they will protect me. Once I have completed your training, we will be the same," indicated Snoke. "Show me your drills in _Juyo_ , now."

Rey took a deep breath and pulled her saber, igniting it. She pulled in the Force, pulled in the darkness, and started her drills in _Juyo_. The darkness enveloped her, until all she felt was the anger, the hatred—against Snoke and all he stood for.

"Yes, use your anger. It will fuel you in this form," encouraged Snoke.

Form VII was erratic, chaotic. The swordsman allowed the anger to consume them like a burning fire, removing all ability of logical thought—and then the dark side of the Force moved the blade with strength and motion, creating a frenzied pattern in the air, which would one day be against an opponent.

"Adequate. But there is still untapped potential within you. During your meditation today I want you to pull on your memories of Jakku—of Skywalker abandoning you there. Yes, my apprentice, he knew that you would be sold into slavery there. He knew, and he never told your mother. He knew where you were all those years. And he did nothing about it. You cannot trust the Jedi, ever. Pull that anger into your meditations and then release it in _Juyo_. Only when you have allowed all of your anger and hatred to fill you will you perfect this form."

Rey glared at him. She was angry. Angry at her uncle. Angry at her granddad. Angry at Snoke. Her drills took on a new vibrancy as Snoke looked on. "Good. Good."


End file.
